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.

---

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

---

Etymology

Origin of high-speed steel

First recorded in 1925–30

Example Sentences

Special points of caution to be observed when hardening high-speed steel.

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

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)

A knowledge of conditions existing today in the manufacture of high-speed steel is essential to steel treaters.

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

An ideal analysis for high-speed steel containing 18 per cent tungsten is a chromium content of approximately 3.85 per cent; vanadium, 0.85 to 1.10 per cent, and carbon, between 0.62 and 0.77 per cent.

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

The quality of high-speed steel is dependent to a very great extent upon its structure.

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