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 manufacturer of high-speed steel knows and appreciates the troubles and difficulties that may sometimes arise in the heat-treating of his product.

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

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)

“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

The muffle furnace is used for hardening dies, taps, cutters and similar Page 188 tools of either carbon or high-speed steel.

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

A larger furnace for high-speed steel is given in Fig.

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