| steely | 1. Made of steel; consisting of steel. "The steely point of Clifford's lance." "Around his shop the steely sparkles flew." (Gay) 2. Resembling steel; hard; firm; having the colour of steel. "His hair was steely gray." "She would unarm her noble heart of that steely resistance against the sweet blows of love." (Sir P. Sidney) Steely iron, a compound of iron containing less than one half of one per cent of carbon. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
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| steelyard | A form of balance in which the body to be weighed is suspended from the shorter arm of a lever, which turns on a fulcrum, and a counterpoise is caused to slide upon the longer arm to produce equilibrium, its place upon this arm (which is notched or graduated) indicating the weight; a Roman balance; very commonly used also in the plural form, steelyards. Origin: So named from a place in London called the Steelyard, which was a yard in which steel was sold. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |