steel·y

[stee-lee]
adjective, steel·i·er, steel·i·est.
1.
consisting or made of steel.
2.
resembling or suggesting steel, as in color, strength, or hardness.

Origin:
1500–10; steel + -y1

steel·i·ness, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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World English Dictionary
steel (stiːl) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
n
1.  a.  any of various alloys based on iron containing carbon (usually 0.1--1.7 per cent) and often small quantities of other elements such as phosphorus, sulphur, manganese, chromium, and nickel. Steels exhibit a variety of properties, such as strength, machinability, malleability, etc, depending on their composition and the way they have been treated
 b.  See also stainless steel (as modifier): steel girders
2.  something that is made of steel
3.  a steel stiffener in a corset, etc
4.  a ridged steel rod with a handle used for sharpening knives
5.  the quality of hardness, esp with regard to a person's character or attitudes
6.  stock exchange See also steels the quotation for steel shares
7.  (modifier) resembling steel: steel determination
 
vb
8.  to fit, plate, edge, or point with steel
9.  to make hard and unfeeling: he steeled his heart against her sorrow; he steeled himself for the blow
 
[Old English stēli; related to Old High German stehli, Middle Dutch stael]
 
'steely
 
adj
 
'steeliness
 
n

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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00:10
Steely is always a great word to know.
So is flibbertigibbet. Does it mean:
the offspring of a zebra and a donkey.
a chattering or flighty, light-headed person.
Example sentences
Each one inherited the same steely notion of service.
Steely nerves help too, as the simple task of connecting a hose becomes
  difficult when you're racing the clock.
They glint with a steely resolve when he thinks of a way to prolong the lives
  of his ailing kids.
It added an edginess, a steely tension to the entire presentation.
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