steel
noun /stiːl/
/stiːl/
Idioms - [uncountable] a strong, hard metal that is made of a mixture of iron and carbon
- the iron and steel industry
- The frame is made of steel.
- Small steel plates were attached to the front and back of the bone.
- The bridge is reinforced with huge steel girders.
Homophones steal | steelsteal steel/stiːl//stiːl/- steal verb
- Lock your bike up so that nobody can steal it.
- steel noun
- The best kitchen knives are made from stainless steel.
- steel verb
- They had to steel themselves to watch their cherished work being destroyed.
Extra ExamplesTopics Physics and chemistryb2- building in steel and aluminium
- the advantages of building in steel and glass
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- solid
- forged
- galvanized
- …
- make
- manufacture
- produce
- …
- sheet
- industry
- manufacture
- …
- in steel
- [uncountable] the industry that produces steel
- Steel used to be important in South Wales.
- steel workers
- a steel town
- The factories and steel mills have now almost disappeared.
- [countable] a long, thin, straight piece of steel with a rough surface, used for rubbing knives on to make them sharp
enlarge image - [uncountable] (old use or literary) weapons that are used for fighting
- the clash of steel
Word OriginOld English stȳle, stēli, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch staal, German Stahl, also to the noun stay sense (2). The verb dates from the late 16th cent.
Idioms
of steel
- having a quality like steel, especially a strong, cold or hard quality
- She felt a hand of steel (= a strong, firm hand) on her arm.
- You need a cool head and nerves of steel (= great courage).
- There was a hint of steel in his voice (= he sounded cold and firm).