stainless steel

American  

noun

1. alloy steel containing 12 percent or more chromium, so as to be resistant to rust and attack from various chemicals.

---

stainless steel British  

noun

1. 1. a type of steel resistant to corrosion as a result of the presence of large amounts of chromium (12–15 per cent). The carbon content depends on the application, being 0.2–0.4 per cent for steel used in cutlery, etc, and about 1 per cent for use in scalpels and razor blades

   2. ( as modifier )

      stainless-steel cutlery

---

stainless steel Scientific  

/ stān′lĭs /

1. Any of various alloys of iron that contain chromium, nickel, and small amounts of carbon. They may also contain minor amounts of other elements, such as molybdenum. Stainless steel is resistant to rusting and corrosion.

---

Etymology

Origin of stainless steel

First recorded in 1915–20

Example Sentences

It will feature several of Gehry’s animal-themed sculptures, including a rarely seen stainless steel bear figure, on loan from the artist’s family.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 17, 2026

They deposited an extremely thin layer of thorium onto stainless steel using electroplating, a technique commonly used in jewelry.

From Science Daily • Jan. 8, 2026

Therrien’s beards — fashioned from synthetic hair, plaster, stainless steel or aluminum — hang on wardrobe stands from hooks that would go over the wearer’s ears as part of a costume.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 25, 2025

Carbon steel gives a sharper edge than stainless steel, and it’s easier to sharpen, but the blade rusts easily.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 23, 2025

Her stiff gray hair caught the lamplight, glinting like stainless steel, and the blue hawk she had inherited from Lord Roke spread his wings briefly on the bracket by the door.

From "The Amber Spyglass" by Philip Pullman