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Steel vs. Copper — What's the Difference?

Steel vs. Copper — What's the Difference?

Difference Between Steel and Copper

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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.

Copper

Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu (from Latin: cuprum) and atomic number 29. It is a soft, malleable, and ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity.

Steel

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

Copper

Symbol Cu A ductile, malleable, reddish-brown metallic element that is an excellent conductor of heat and electricity and is widely used for electrical wiring, water piping, and corrosion-resistant parts, either pure or in alloys such as brass and bronze. Atomic number 29; atomic weight 63.546; melting point 1,085°C; boiling point 2,562°C; specific gravity 8.96; valence 1, 2. See Periodic Table.

Steel

Mentally prepare (oneself) to do or face something difficult
His team were steeling themselves for disappointment
She steeled herself to remain calm
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Copper

A coin, usually of small denomination, made of copper or a copper alloy.

Steel

A generally hard, strong, durable, malleable alloy of iron and carbon, usually containing between 0.2 and 1.5 percent carbon, often with other constituents such as manganese, chromium, nickel, molybdenum, copper, tungsten, cobalt, or silicon, depending on the desired alloy properties, and widely used as a structural material.

Copper

Chiefly British A large cooking pot made of copper or often of iron.

Steel

Something, such as a sword, that is made of steel.

Copper

Any of various small butterflies of the subfamily Lycaeninae, having predominantly copper-colored wings.

Steel

A quality suggestive of this alloy, especially a hard, unflinching character.

Copper

A reddish brown.

Steel

Steel gray.

Copper

A police officer.

Steel

Made with, relating to, or consisting of steel
Steel beams.
The steel industry.
A bicycle with a steel frame.

Copper

To coat or finish with a layer of copper.

Steel

Very firm or strong
A steel grip.

Copper

(Slang) To bet against, as in faro.

Steel

Of a steel gray.

Copper

(uncountable) A reddish-brown, malleable, ductile metallic element with high electrical and thermal conductivity, symbol Cu, and atomic number 29.

Steel

To cover, plate, edge, or point with steel.

Copper

The reddish-brown colour/color of copper.

Steel

To make hard, strong, or obdurate; strengthen
He steeled himself for disappointment.

Copper

Any of various specialized items that are made of copper, where the use of copper is either traditional or vital to the function of the item.

Steel

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

Copper

(countable) A copper coin, typically of a small denomination, such as a penny.

Steel

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

Copper

A large pot, often used for heating water or washing clothes over a fire. In Australasia at least, it could also be a fixed installation made of copper, with a fire underneath and its own chimney. Generally made redundant by the advent of the washing machine.
Mum would heat the water in a copper in the kitchen and transfer it to the tin bath.
I explain that socks can’t be boiled up in the copper with the sheets and towels or they shrink.

Steel

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

Copper

(entomology) Any of various lycaenid butterflies with copper-coloured upperwings, especially those of the genera Lycaena and Paralucia.

Steel

A piece used for striking sparks from flint.

Copper

A police officer.

Steel

Armor.

Copper

Made of copper.

Steel

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

Copper

Having the reddish-brown colour/color of copper.

Steel

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

Copper

To sheathe or coat with copper.

Steel

(dialectal) A flat iron.

Copper

A common metal of a reddish color, both ductile and malleable, and very tenacious. It is one of the best conductors of heat and electricity. Symbol Cu. Atomic weight 63.3. It is one of the most useful metals in itself, and also in its alloys, brass and bronze.

Steel

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

Copper

A coin made of copper; a penny, cent, or other minor coin of copper.
My friends filled my pockets with coppers.

Steel

(printing) An engraving plate:

Copper

A vessel, especially a large boiler, made of copper.

Steel

Projectiles.

Copper

The boilers in the galley for cooking; as, a ship's coppers.
All in a hot and copper sky.

Steel

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

Copper

To cover or coat with copper; to sheathe with sheets of copper; as, to copper a ship.

Steel

A type of slide used while playing the steel guitar.

Copper

A ductile malleable reddish-brown corrosion-resistant diamagnetic metallic element; occurs in various minerals but is the only metal that occurs abundantly in large masses; used as an electrical and thermal conductor

Steel

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

Copper

A copper penny

Steel

(countable) Varieties of this metal.

Copper

Uncomplimentary terms for a policeman

Steel

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

Copper

A reddish brown the color of polished copper

Steel

(figurative) Extreme hardness or resilience.

Copper

Any of various small butterflies of the family Lycaenidae having copper colored wings

Steel

Made of steel.

Copper

Coat with a layer of copper

Steel

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

Steel

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

Steel

Containing steel.

Steel

(printing) Engraved on steel.

Steel

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

Steel

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

Steel

To back with steel.

Steel

To treat a liquid with steel for medicinal purposes.

Steel

To press with a flat iron.

Steel

To cause to resemble steel in appearance.

Steel

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

Steel

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

Steel

(transitive) To sharpen with a honing steel.

Steel

Coldbath Fields Prison in London, closed in 1877.

Steel

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.

Steel

An instrument or implement made of steel

Steel

A weapon, as a sword, dagger, etc.
While doubting thus he stood,Received the steel bathed in his brother's blood.

Steel

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

Steel

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

Steel

A chalybeate medicine.

Steel

A piece of steel for striking sparks from flint.

Steel

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

Steel

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?

Steel

To cause to resemble steel, as in smoothness, polish, or other qualities.
These waters, steeledBy breezeless air to smoothest polish.

Steel

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

Steel

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

Steel

A cutting or thrusting weapon with a long blade

Steel

Knife sharpener consisting of a ridged steel rod

Steel

Get ready for something difficult or unpleasant

Steel

Cover, plate, or edge with steel

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