steel
(noun) knife sharpener consisting of a ridged steel rod
sword, blade, brand, steel
(noun) a cutting or thrusting weapon that has a long metal blade and a hilt with a hand guard
steel
(noun) an alloy of iron with small amounts of carbon; widely used in construction; mechanical properties can be varied over a wide range
steel
(verb) cover, plate, or edge with steel
steel, nerve
(verb) get ready for something difficult or unpleasant
Source: WordNet® 3.1
steel (countable and uncountable, plural steels)
An artificial metal produced from iron, harder and more elastic than elemental iron; used figuratively as a symbol of hardness.
(countable) Any item made of this metal, particularly including
Bladed or pointed weapons, as swords, javelins, daggers.
A piece used for striking sparks from flint.
Armor.
A honing steel, a tool used to sharpen or hone metal blades.
(sewing) Pieces used to strengthen, support, or expand an item of clothing.
(dialectal) A flat iron.
(sewing, dialectal) A sewing needle; a knitting needle; a sharp metal stylus.
(printing) An engraving plate
Projectiles.
(sewing) A fringe of beads or decoration of this metal.
(music, guitar) A type of slide used while playing the steel guitar.
(uncountable, medicine, obsolete) Medicinal consumption of this metal; chalybeate medicine; (eventually) any iron or iron-treated water consumed as a medical treatment.
(countable) Varieties of this metal.
(uncountable, colors) The gray hue of this metal; steel-gray, or steel blue.
(figurative) Extreme hardness or resilience.
steel (not comparable)
Made of steel.
Similar to steel in color, strength, or the like; steely.
(business) Of or belonging to the manufacture or trade in steel.
(medicine, obsolete) Containing steel.
(printing) Engraved on steel.
steel (third-person singular simple present steels, present participle steeling, simple past and past participle steeled)
(transitive) To edge, cover, or point with steel.
(transitive) To harden or strengthen; to nerve or make obdurate; to fortify against.
(transitive, obsolete, of mirrors) To back with steel.
(transitive, medicine, obsolete) To treat a liquid with steel for medicinal purposes.
(transitive, dialectal) To press with a flat iron.
(transitive, uncommon) To cause to resemble steel in appearance.
(transitive) To steelify; to turn iron into steel.
(transitive) To electroplate an item, particularly an engraving plate, with a layer of iron.
(transitive) To sharpen with a honing steel.
• (harden): See also harden
• (strengthen): See also strengthen
steel
(UK, crime, slang, obsolete) Coldbath Fields Prison in London, closed in 1877.
• Leets, Teels, Teles, Ts'e-le, leets, sleet, stele, stelè, stĂ©lĂ©, teles
Steel
A surname.
• Leets, Teels, Teles, Ts'e-le, leets, sleet, stele, stelè, stĂ©lĂ©, teles
Source: Wiktionary
Steel, n. Etym: [AS. stel, styl, style; akin to D. staal, G. stahl, OHG. stahal, Icel. stal, Dan. staal, Sw. stĂĄl, Old Prussian stakla.]
1. (Metal)
Definition: A variety of iron intermediate in composition and properties between wrought iron and cast iron (containing between one half of one per cent and one and a half per cent of carbon), and consisting of an alloy of iron with an iron carbide. Steel, unlike wrought iron, can be tempered, and retains magnetism. Its malleability decreases, and fusibility increases, with an increase in carbon.
2. An instrument or implement made of steel; as: -- (a) A weapon, as a sword, dagger, etc. "Brave Macbeth . . . with his brandished steel." Shak. While doubting thus he stood, Received the steel bathed in his brother's blood. Dryden.
(b) An instrument of steel (usually a round rod) for sharpening knives. (c) A piece of steel for striking sparks from flint.
3. Fig.: Anything of extreme hardness; that which is characterized by sternness or rigor. "Heads of steel." Johnson. "Manhood's heart of steel." Byron.
4. (Med.)
Definition: A chalybeate medicine. Dunglison.
Note: Steel is often used in the formation of compounds, generally of obvious meaning; as, steel-clad, steel-girt, steel-hearted, steel- plated, steel-pointed, etc. Bessemer steel (Metal.) See in the Vocabulary.
– Blister steel. (Metal.) See under Blister.
– Cast steel (Metal.), a fine variety of steel, originally made by smelting blister or cementation steel; hence, ordinarily, steel of any process of production when remelted and cast.
– Cromium steel (Metal.), a hard, tenacious variety containing a little cromium, and somewhat resembling tungsten steel.
– Mild steel (Metal.), a kind of steel having a lower proportion of carbon than ordinary steel, rendering it softer and more malleable.
– Puddled steel (Metal.), a variety of steel produced from cast iron by the puddling process.
– Steel duck (Zoöl.), the goosander, or merganser. [Prov. Eng.] -- Steel mill. (a) (Firearms) See Wheel lock, under Wheel. (b) A mill which has steel grinding surfaces. (c) A mill where steel is manufactured.
– Steel trap, a trap for catching wild animals. It consists of two iron jaws, which close by means of a powerful steel spring when the animal disturbs the catch, or tongue, by which they are kept open.
– Steel wine, wine, usually sherry, in which steel filings have been placed for a considerable time, -- used as a medicine.
– Tincture of steel (Med.), an alcoholic solution of the chloride of iron.
– Tungsten steel (Metal.), a variety of steel containing a small amount of tungsten, and noted for its tenacity and hardness, as well as for its malleability and tempering qualities. It is also noted for its magnetic properties.
Steel, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Steeled; p. pr. & vb. n. Steeling.] Etym: [AS. stlan: cf. Icel. stæla. See Steel, n.]
1. To overlay, point, or edge with steel; as, to steel a razor; to steel an ax.
2. To make hard or strong; hence, to make insensible or obdurate. Lies well steeled with weighty arguments. Shak. O God of battles! steel my soldier's hearts. Shak. Why will you fight against so sweet a passion, And steel your heart to such a world of charms Addison.
3. Fig.: To cause to resemble steel, as in smoothness, polish, or other qualities. These waters, steeled By breezeless air to smoothest polish. Wordsworth.
4. (Elec.)
Definition: To cover, as an electrotype plate, with a thin layer of iron by electrolysis. The iron thus deposited is very hard, like steel.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
23 January 2025
(adjective) being or located on or directed toward the side of the body to the west when facing north; “my left hand”; “left center field”; “the left bank of a river is bank on your left side when you are facing downstream”
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