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carbon steel

American  

noun

  1. steel owing its properties principally to its carbon content; ordinary, unalloyed steel.


carbon steel British  

noun

  1. steel whose characteristics are determined by the amount of carbon it contains

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of carbon steel

First recorded in 1900–05

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

Consequently, some manufacturers have begun pairing carbon steel with an aluminum core for more even heating, creating hybrid nonsticks with a three-ply construction similar to better stainless steel pans.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 24, 2025

Geothermal wells are usually constructed with carbon steel, she explains, but that quickly loses strength when temperatures exceed 200°C.

From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2024

One is the flavor imparted from hot, well-seasoned carbon steel or cast iron, two of the most common materials used to make woks.

From Salon ● May 15, 2024

The carbon steel art piece depicts the press conference table that Ali, Brown and others sat at following their meeting 56 years ago, a moment captured in an iconic photograph.

From Seattle Times ● Oct. 11, 2023

Monday arrived cold and raw, with a rising wind that brought a smell of snow from a sky the color of plain carbon steel.

From "The Hot Zone" by Richard Preston

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