Steel vs. Brass

Steelnoun

An artificial metal produced from iron, harder and more elastic than elemental iron; used figuratively as a symbol of hardness.

Brassnoun

(uncountable) A metallic alloy of copper and zinc used in many industrial and plumbing applications.

Steelnoun

(countable) Any item made of this metal, particularly including:

Brassnoun

A memorial or sepulchral tablet usually made of brass or latten

Steelnoun

Bladed or pointed weapons, as swords, javelins, daggers.

Brassnoun

Fittings, utensils, or other items made of brass

Steelnoun

A piece used for striking sparks from flint.

Brassnoun

A class of wind instruments, usually made of metal (such as brass), that use vibrations of the player's lips to produce sound.

Steelnoun

Armor.

Brassnoun

Spent shell casings (usually made of brass); the part of the cartridge left over after bullets have been fired.

Steelnoun

A honing steel, a tool used to sharpen or hone metal blades.

Brassnoun

(uncountable) The colour of brass.

Steelnoun

(sewing) Pieces used to strengthen, support, or expand an item of clothing.

Brassnoun

High-ranking officers.

‘The brass are not going to like this.’; ‘The brass is not going to like this.’;

Steelnoun

(dialectal) A flat iron.

Brassnoun

A brave or foolhardy attitude; impudence.

‘You've got a lot of brass telling me to do that!’;

Steelnoun

A sewing needle; a knitting needle; a sharp metal stylus.

Brassnoun

Money.

Steelnoun

(printing) An engraving plate:

Brassnoun

Inferior composition.

Steelnoun

Projectiles.

Brassnoun

Brass in pocket; money.

Steelnoun

(sewing) A fringe of beads or decoration of this metal.

Brassnoun

A brass nail; a prostitute.

Steelnoun

A type of slide used while playing the steel guitar.

Brassadjective

Made of brass, of or pertaining to brass.

Steelnoun

Medicinal consumption of this metal; chalybeate medicine; (eventually) any iron or iron-treated water consumed as a medical treatment.

Brassadjective

Of the colour of brass.

Steelnoun

(countable) Varieties of this metal.

Brassadjective

(informal) Impertinent, bold: brazen.

Steelnoun

The gray hue of this metal; steel-gray, or steel blue.

Brassadjective

(slang) Bad, annoying; as wordplay applied especially to brass instruments.

Steelnoun

(figurative) Extreme hardness or resilience.

Brassadjective

Of inferior composition.

Steeladjective

Made of steel.

Brassadjective

(slang) Brass monkey; cold.

Steeladjective

Similar to steel in color, strength, or the like; steely.

Brassverb

to coat with brass

Steeladjective

(business) Of or belonging to the manufacture or trade in steel.

Brassnoun

An alloy (usually yellow) of copper and zinc, in variable proportion, but often containing two parts of copper to one part of zinc. It sometimes contains tin, and rarely other metals.

Steeladjective

Containing steel.

Brassnoun

A journal bearing, so called because frequently made of brass. A brass is often lined with a softer metal, when the latter is generally called a white metal lining. See Axle box, Journal Box, and Bearing.

Steeladjective

(printing) Engraved on steel.

Brassnoun

Coin made of copper, brass, or bronze.

‘Provide neither gold, nor silver, nor brass in your purses, nor scrip for your journey.’;

Steelverb

(transitive) To edge, cover, or point with steel.

Brassnoun

Impudence; a brazen face.

Steelverb

(transitive) To harden or strengthen; to nerve or make obdurate; to fortify against.

Brassnoun

Utensils, ornaments, or other articles of brass.

‘The very scullion who cleans the brasses.’;

Steelverb

To back with steel.

Brassnoun

A brass plate engraved with a figure or device. Specifically, one used as a memorial to the dead, and generally having the portrait, coat of arms, etc.

Steelverb

To treat a liquid with steel for medicinal purposes.

Brassnoun

Lumps of pyrites or sulphuret of iron, the color of which is near to that of brass.

Steelverb

To press with a flat iron.

Brassnoun

an alloy of copper and zinc

Steelverb

To cause to resemble steel in appearance.

Brassnoun

a wind instrument that consists of a brass tube (usually of variable length) blown by means of a cup-shaped or funnel-shaped mouthpiece

Steelverb

(transitive) To steelify; to turn iron into steel.

Brassnoun

the persons (or committees or departments etc.) who make up a body for the purpose of administering something;

‘he claims that the present administration is corrupt’; ‘the governance of an association is responsible to its members’; ‘he quickly became recognized as a member of the establishment’;

Steelverb

(transitive) To electroplate an item, particularly an engraving plate, with a layer of iron.

Brassnoun

impudent aggressiveness;

‘I couldn't believe her boldness’; ‘he had the effrontery to question my honesty’;

Steelverb

(transitive) To sharpen with a honing steel.

Brassnoun

an ornament or utensil made of brass

Steelproper noun

Coldbath Fields Prison in London, closed in 1877.

Brassnoun

the section of a band or orchestra that plays brass instruments

Steelnoun

A variety of iron intermediate in composition and properties between wrought iron and cast iron (containing between one half of one per cent and one and a half per cent of carbon), and consisting of an alloy of iron with an iron carbide. Steel, unlike wrought iron, can be tempered, and retains magnetism. Its malleability decreases, and fusibility increases, with an increase in carbon.

Brassnoun

a memorial made of brass

Steelnoun

An instrument or implement made of steel

Brass

Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc, in proportions which can be varied to achieve varying mechanical, electrical, and chemical properties. It is a substitutional alloy: atoms of the two constituents may replace each other within the same crystal structure.

Steelnoun

A weapon, as a sword, dagger, etc.

‘While doubting thus he stood,Received the steel bathed in his brother's blood.’;

Steelnoun

Fig.: Anything of extreme hardness; that which is characterized by sternness or rigor.

Steelnoun

An instrument of steel (usually a round rod) for sharpening knives.

Steelnoun

A chalybeate medicine.

Steelnoun

A piece of steel for striking sparks from flint.

Steelverb

To overlay, point, or edge with steel; as, to steel a razor; to steel an ax.

Steelverb

To make hard or strong; hence, to make insensible or obdurate.

‘Lies well steeled with weighty arguments.’; ‘O God of battles! steel my soldiers' hearts.’; ‘Why will you fight against so sweet a passion,And steel your heart to such a world of charms?’;

Steelverb

To cause to resemble steel, as in smoothness, polish, or other qualities.

‘These waters, steeledBy breezeless air to smoothest polish.’;

Steelverb

To cover, as an electrotype plate, with a thin layer of iron by electrolysis. The iron thus deposited is very hard, like steel.

Steelnoun

an alloy of iron with small amounts of carbon; widely used in construction; mechanical properties can be varied over a wide range

Steelnoun

a cutting or thrusting weapon with a long blade

Steelnoun

knife sharpener consisting of a ridged steel rod

Steelverb

get ready for something difficult or unpleasant

Steelverb

cover, plate, or edge with steel

Steelnoun

a hard, strong grey or bluish-grey alloy of iron with carbon and usually other elements, used as a structural and fabricating material

‘steel girders’;

Steelnoun

used as a symbol or embodiment of strength and firmness

‘nerves of steel’; ‘a steel will’;

Steelnoun

a rod of roughened steel on which knives are sharpened.

Steelverb

mentally prepare (oneself) to do or face something difficult

‘his team were steeling themselves for disappointment’; ‘she steeled herself to remain calm’;

Steel

Steel is an alloy made up of iron with typically a few tenths of a percent of carbon to improve its strength and fracture resistance compared to iron. Many other elements may be present or added.