steel

English

/stiːl/

noun
Definitions
  • An artificial metal produced from iron, harder and more elastic than elemental iron; used figuratively as a symbol of hardness.
  • (countable) Any item made of this metal, particularly including:
  • (uncountable) Medicinal consumption of this metal; chalybeate medicine; (eventually) any iron or iron-treated water consumed as a medical treatment.
  • (countable) Varieties of this metal.
  • (uncountable) The gray hue of this metal; steel-gray, or steel blue.
  • (figurative) Extreme hardness or resilience.

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English stele (steel) inherited from Old English stīele inherited from Proto-Germanic *stahliją (something made of steel), *stah- derived from Proto-Indo-European *stak- (stay, be firm).

Origin

Proto-Indo-European

*stak-

Gloss

stay, be firm

Timeline

Distribution of cognates by language

Geogrpahic distribution of cognates

Cognates and derived terms