Sekirov Dictionary

steel

/stiːl/

noun 16
verb 11
adjective 5
forms 4
phrases 3

noun16

a metal harder than iron and less likely to break, which people make from iron
(figurative) Extreme hardness or resilience.
Any item made of this metal.
Bladed or pointed weapons, as swords, javelins, daggers.
A piece used for striking sparks from flint or ferrocerium.
Armor.
•
A honing steel, a tool used to sharpen or hone metal blades.
- The steill to scherp the schawing jrne. — 1541
•
Pieces used to strengthen, support, or expand an item of clothing.
- I haue a ruffe is a quarter deep, measured by the yeard... You haue a pretty set too, how big is the steele you set with? — 1608
•
An engraving plate.
- A re-issue of the Examples of the Architecture of Venice. By John Ruskin... With the Text, and the 16 Plates (10 Steels and 6 Lithographs) as originally published. — 1887
•
Projectiles.
- The crews at the port batteries were pumping steel at the enemy. — 1898
•
A fringe of beads or decoration of this metal.
- A trailing skirt embroidered in what is termed fine steel. — 1899
A type of slide used while playing the steel guitar.
•
(dialect) A flat iron.
- One of them having occasion to use a Steele, smoothing Iron, or some such kinde of Laundry Instrument. — 1638
•
(dialect) A sewing needle; a knitting needle; a sharp metal stylus.
- The threaded steel...Flies swiftly. — 1785
•
The gray hue of this metal; steel-gray, or steel blue.
- Falkenhayn gave...to Jane a steel glacé silk dress. — 1851
•
(no longer used) Medicinal consumption of this metal; chalybeate medicine; (eventually) any iron or iron-treated water consumed as a medical treatment.
- A stronger physick is now necessary, perhaps a whole course of steel: A physick, God knowes, that this Kingdome hath been under five or six yeares. — 1649

verb11

To treat, furnish with, or transform into steel.
•
(figurative) To harden or strengthen; to nerve or make obdurate; to fortify against.
- But stil he was so steelde With heart so good, as victor he dead left them in the field. — 1581
To edge, cover, or point with steel.
•
To electroplate an item (particularly an engraving plate) with a layer of iron.
- My large dry-point,...called Two Stumps of Driftwood, gave 1000 copies (after being steeled) without perceptible wearing. — 1880
(figurative) To cause to resemble steel.
•
(literary, figurative) To give (something) the appearance of steel.
- And lo! those waters, steeled By breezeless air to smoothest polish, yield A vivid repetition of the stars. — 1807
To sharpen with a honing steel.
•
To steelify; to turn iron into steel.
- By passing an electric current thus through the bars the operation of steeling is much hastened. — 1853
•
(dialect) To press with a flat iron.
- Tha hasn't tha Sense to stile thy own Dressing. — 1746
•
(no longer used) To back with steel.
- Nay, a Crystall glasse will not show a man his face, except it be steeled, except it be darkned on the backside. — 1630
•
(no longer used) To treat a liquid with steel for medicinal purposes.
- She drunk her drink steeled, with which she was cured. — 1657

adjective5

Made of steel.
•
Similar to steel in color, strength, or the like; steely.
- Wher neuer cessing soyle doth steelebright stuff send out from mines. — 1560
•
Of or belonging to the manufacture or trade in steel.
- [T]he discoverie of the yron and steele mines. — 1601
•
Engraved on steel.
- The best picture I have had yet is the steel frontis-piece to my new book. — 1880
•
(no longer used) Containing steel.
- To mix some Sugar of steel, or steel wine with the first glass. — 1652

forms

steeld · steeled · steeling · steels

Phrases with steel

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