stainless steel


noun

alloy steel containing 12 percent or more chromium, so as to be resistant to rust and attack from various chemicals.
Also called stainless.

Origin of stainless steel

First recorded in 1915–20

Example sentences from the Web for stainless steel

British Dictionary definitions for stainless steel

stainless steel

noun

  1. a type of steel resistant to corrosion as a result of the presence of large amounts of chromium (12–15 per cent). The carbon content depends on the application, being 0.2–0.4 per cent for steel used in cutlery, etc, and about 1 per cent for use in scalpels and razor blades
  2. (as modifier)stainless-steel cutlery

Scientific definitions for stainless steel

stainless steel
[ stānlĭs ]

Any of various alloys of iron that contain chromium, nickel, and small amounts of carbon. They may also contain minor amounts of other elements, such as molybdenum. Stainless steel is resistant to rusting and corrosion.