Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner's English Dictionary - steel

(steels, steeling, steeled) Frequency: The word is one of the 3000 most common words in English. 1. Steel is a very strong metal which is made mainly from iron. Steel is used for making many things, for example bridges, buildings, vehicles, and cutlery. ...steel pipes. ...the iron and steel industry... The front wall is made of corrugated steel. N-MASS: oft N n see also stainless steel 2. Steel is used to refer to the industry that produces steel and items made of steel. ...a three-month study of European steel... N-UNCOUNT: oft N n 3. If you steel yourself, you prepare to deal with something unpleasant. Those involved are steeling themselves for the coming battle... I was steeling myself to call round when Simon arrived. VERB: V pron-refl for/against n, V pron-refl to-inf