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steel

/stiːl/

noun

Meaning

  • An artificial metal produced from iron, harder and more elastic than elemental iron; used figuratively as a symbol of hardness.

  • Any item made of this metal, particularly including:

  • Medicinal consumption of this metal; chalybeate medicine; (eventually) any iron or iron-treated water consumed as a medical treatment.

  • Varieties of this metal.

  • (colors) The gray hue of this metal; steel-gray, or steel blue.

  • Extreme hardness or resilience.

verb

Meaning

  • To edge, cover, or point with steel.

  • To harden or strengthen; to nerve or make obdurate; to fortify against.

  • (of mirrors) To back with steel.

  • To treat a liquid with steel for medicinal purposes.

  • To press with a flat iron.

  • To cause to resemble steel in appearance.

  • To steelify; to turn iron into steel.

  • To electroplate an item, particularly an engraving plate, with a layer of iron.

  • To sharpen with a honing steel.

adjective

Meaning

  • Made of steel.

  • Similar to steel in color, strength, or the like; steely.

  • Of or belonging to the manufacture or trade in steel.

  • Containing steel.

  • Engraved on steel.