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stainless steel

American  

noun

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

stainless steel British  

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
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
stainless steel Scientific  
/ stān′lĭs /

  1. 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.

Etymology

Origin of stainless steel

First recorded in 1915–20

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Factories in sectors including stainless steel and plastic have cut back on production as a result.

From Barron's • Mar. 29, 2026

WSJ | Buy Side: This stainless steel air fryer looks great without sacrificing performance.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 10, 2026

They deposited an extremely thin layer of thorium onto stainless steel using electroplating, a technique commonly used in jewelry.

From Science Daily • Jan. 8, 2026

Exports of 300 specific steel products, including stainless steel, will be subject to authorities’ approval, according to a list published by the commerce ministry.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 12, 2025

Then we got plates and utensils and trays to push along the stainless steel counter as we decided what we wanted.

From "It All Comes Down to This" by Karen English

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.