steel

[ steel ]

/ stil /

noun

any of various modified forms of iron, artificially produced, having a carbon content less than that of pig iron and more than that of wrought iron, and having qualities of hardness, elasticity, and strength varying according to composition and heat treatment: generally categorized as having a high, medium, or low-carbon content.

a thing or things made of this metal.

a flat strip of this metal used for stiffening, especially in corsets; stay.

a bar of this metal that has one end formed to hold a bit for driving through rock.

steels, stocks or bonds of companies producing this metal.

a sword.

a rounded rod of ridged steel, fitted with a handle and used especially for sharpening knives.

adjective

pertaining to or made of steel.

like steel in color, hardness, or strength.

verb (used with object)

to fit with steel, as by pointing, edging, or overlaying.

to cause to resemble steel in some way.

to render insensible, inflexible, unyielding, determined, etc.: He steeled himself to perform the dangerous task.

QUIZZES

TAKE THIS QUIZ TO SEE WHAT YOU KNOW ABOUT 2ND-3RD GRADE VOCAB FROM BOOKS!

Are you learning new vocabulary? Or do you just have an interest in words? Either way, this quiz is for you.

Question 1 of 10

orchard

body of land completely surrounded by water

group of cultivated fruit trees

long mournful cry

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of steel

before 900; (noun) Middle English stele, Old English (north) stēle; cognate with Dutch staal, German Stahl, Old Norse stāl; (v.) Middle English stelen, Old English styled edged with steel, derivative of the noun

OTHER WORDS FROM steel

steel·like, adjectivepre·steel, noun, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH steel

steal steel stele

Words nearby steel

stech, stechhelm, stedfast, steed, steek, steel, steel band, steel blue, steel drum, steel engraving, steel gray

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for steeled

I steeled myself, expecting that she would need comfort and reassurance.
The First American: Excerpt from Henry Crumpton’s ‘The Art of Intelligence’|Henry A. Crumpton|May 14, 2012|DAILY BEAST
The operation was apparently intended to terrify the residents into leaving voluntarily, but instead it steeled their resolve.
Iraq's Looming Massacre of Iranian MEK Refugees|Geoffrey Robertson|December 9, 2011|DAILY BEAST
Huntsman is a long shot, and his daughters are steeled for whatever the outcome.
Those Surprising Huntsman Girls|Lloyd Grove, McKay Coppins|November 3, 2011|DAILY BEAST
All these men, though their hearts were steeled by crime, shuddered involuntarily.
The Trail-Hunter|Gustave Aimard

His heart shrunk together, but he steeled himself to face the coming blow.
A Modern Aladdin|Howard Pyle
Christine steeled herself to meet the crisis with self-reliance.
The Pretty Lady |Arnold E. Bennett
Nevertheless, in the face of these frightful deterrents, she steeled her resolution.
The Bandbox|Louis Joseph Vance
I have steeled my nerves to it—I shall not shrink, and I am hopeful.
Mattie:--A Stray (Vol 3 of 3)|Frederick William Robinson

British Dictionary definitions for steeled (1 of 2)

Steel

/ (stiːl) /

noun

Danielle, full name Danielle Fernande Schüelein-Steel. born 1950, US writer of romantic fiction

Baron David (Martin Scott). born 1938, British politician; leader of the Liberal Party (1976–88); Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament (1999–2003)

British Dictionary definitions for steeled (2 of 2)

steel

/ (stiːl) /

noun

any of various alloys based on iron containing carbon (usually 0.1–1.7 per cent) and often small quantities of other elements such as phosphorus, sulphur, manganese, chromium, and nickel. Steels exhibit a variety of properties, such as strength, machinability, malleability, etc, depending on their composition and the way they have been treated
(as modifier)steel girders See also stainless steel

something that is made of steel

a steel stiffener in a corset, etc

a ridged steel rod with a handle used for sharpening knives

the quality of hardness, esp with regard to a person's character or attitudes

stock exchange the quotation for steel sharesSee also steels

(modifier) resembling steelsteel determination

verb (tr)

to fit, plate, edge, or point with steel

to make hard and unfeelinghe steeled his heart against her sorrow; he steeled himself for the blow

Derived forms of steel

steely, adjectivesteeliness, noun

Word Origin for steel

Old English stēli; related to Old High German stehli, Middle Dutch stael

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for steeled

steel

[ stēl ]

Any of various hard, strong, flexible alloys of iron and carbon. Often, other metals are added to give steel a particular property, such as chromium and nickel to make it stainless. Steel is widely used in many kinds of tools and as a structural material in building.

Idioms and Phrases with steeled

steel

In addition to the idiom beginning with steel

steel one's heart against

also see:

mind like a steel trap

MEANINGS

WORD GAMES

LEARN

WRITING

WORD OF THE DAY

steel