high-speed steel

American  

noun

1. an especially hard, heat-resistant steel for use in lathe tools and for other applications involving high friction and wear.

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high-speed steel British  

noun

1. any of various steels that retain their hardness at high temperatures and are thus suitable for making tools used on lathes and other high-speed machines

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Etymology

Origin of high-speed steel

First recorded in 1925–30

Example Sentences

Tools, made of high-speed steel, and of the proper shapes, were properly dressed, treated, and ground.

From The Principles of Scientific Management by Taylor, Frederick Winslow

For other makes of high-speed steel used in lathe and planer tools the makers recommend that the tools be cut from the bar with a hack saw or else heated and cut with a chisel.

From The Working of Steel Annealing, Heat Treating and Hardening of Carbon and Alloy Steel by Colvin, Fred H. (Fred Herbert)

Molybdenum high-speed steel is more expensive than tungsten high-speed steel, but is said to wear better.

From The New Gresham Encyclopedia. Vol. 1 Part 1 A to Amide by Various

When we say "tool steel," we nearly always refer to carbon-tool steel, high-speed steel being usually designated by that name.

From The Working of Steel Annealing, Heat Treating and Hardening of Carbon and Alloy Steel by Colvin, Fred H. (Fred Herbert)

The complex hardenites in high-speed steel may be described as that form of solid solution which gives to it its cutting efficiency.

From The Working of Steel Annealing, Heat Treating and Hardening of Carbon and Alloy Steel by Colvin, Fred H. (Fred Herbert)