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

Pratt said his concept for the memorial, titled “Warriors’ Circle of Honor”—a contemplative and subtly interactive space, focused around a circular stainless steel sculpture, mounted on a drum—came to him in a dream.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 29, 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

Its stainless steel facade unfurls toward the river in faceted, reflective forms that contrast with the building’s campus-facing facade, a series of various-sized cubes wrapped in earth-toned brick, matching the rest of campus.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 5, 2025

The centerpiece of Chicago’s wildly successful Millennium Park, the bandshell’s billowing 120-foot proscenium, supported by a web of aluminum arms, is fronted by dozens of torqued stainless steel ribbons, which exuberantly frame the stage.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 5, 2025

The owl was hanging upside down from a rod of stainless steel.

From "Slaughterhouse-Five" by Kurt Vonnegut