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.

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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

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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.

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Etymology

Origin of stainless steel

First recorded in 1915–20

Example Sentences

John Z. DeLorean’s company produced under 10,000 DMC-12 vehicles before bankruptcy, yet its gull-wing doors and stainless steel body influenced future designs.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 8, 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

Gehry’s first skyscraper, 8 Spruce, reimagined the Manhattan high-rise as a kind of gleaming, pleated fabric, its shifted stainless steel panels rippling downward, catching daylight in a constantly shifting display.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 5, 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

I press my back to the stainless steel cabinets and inch inward until I can duck into the hollow space beneath the grill.

From "The Sky at Our Feet" by Nadia Hashimi