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

See Examples For:

high-speed steel

The Latrobe Steel Company make a high-speed steel without tungsten, its red-hardness properties depending on chromium and cobalt instead of tungsten.

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)

“Why, to harden high-speed steel for guns and turning-tools–haven’t you read all about it in the papers?”

From Shadow Mountain by Coolidge, Dane

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)

The cutter a is a piece of high-speed steel beveled on the cutting end to produce a keen edge.

From Turning and Boring A specialized treatise for machinists, students in the industrial and engineering schools, and apprentices, on turning and boring methods, etc. by Jones, Franklin D.