{Merchant bar}, {Merchant iron} or {steel}, certain common
sizes of wrought iron and steel bars.
{Merchant service}, the mercantile marine of a country. --Am.
Cyc.
{Merchant ship}, a ship employed in commerce.
{Merchant tailor}, a tailor who keeps and sells materials for
the garments which he makes.
The rosy morn resigns her light And milder glory to the
noon. --Waller.
Adore him as a mild and merciful Being. --Rogers.
{Mild}, or {Low}, {steel}, steel that has but little carbon
in it and is not readily hardened.
Syn: Soft; gentle; bland; calm; tranquil; soothing; pleasant;
placid; meek; kind; tender; indulgent; clement;
mollifying; lenitive; assuasive. See {Gentle}.
2. To make hard or strong; hence, to make insensible or
obdurate.
Lies well steeled with weighty arguments. --Shak.
O God of battles! steel my soldier's hearts. --Shak.
Why will you fight against so sweet a passion, And
steel your heart to such a world of charms?
--Addison.
3. Fig.: To cause to resemble steel, as in smoothness,
polish, or other qualities.
These waters, steeled By breezeless air to smoothest
polish. --Wordsworth.
4. (Elec.) To cover, as an electrotype plate, with a thin
layer of iron by electrolysis. The iron thus deposited is
very hard, like steel.
2. An instrument or implement made of steel; as:
(a) A weapon, as a sword, dagger, etc. ``Brave Macbeth . .
. with his brandished steel.'' --Shak.
While doubting thus he stood, Received the steel
bathed in his brother's blood. --Dryden.
(b) An instrument of steel (usually a round rod) for
sharpening knives.
(c) A piece of steel for striking sparks from flint.
3. Fig.: Anything of extreme hardness; that which is
characterized by sternness or rigor. ``Heads of steel.''
--Johnson. ``Manhood's heart of steel.'' --Byron.
4. (Med.) A chalybeate medicine. --Dunglison.
Note: Steel is often used in the formation of compounds,
generally of obvious meaning; as, steel-clad,
steel-girt, steel-hearted, steel-plated, steel-pointed,
etc.
{Bessemer steel} (Metal.) See in the Vocabulary.
{Blister steel}. (Metal.) See under {Blister}.
{Cast steel} (Metal.), a fine variety of steel, originally
made by smelting blister or cementation steel; hence,
ordinarily, steel of any process of production when
remelted and cast.
{Cromium steel} (Metal.), a hard, tenacious variety
containing a little cromium, and somewhat resembling
{tungsten steel}.
{Mild steel} (Metal.), a kind of steel having a lower
proportion of carbon than ordinary steel, rendering it
softer and more malleable.
{Puddled steel} (Metal.), a variety of steel produced from
cast iron by the puddling process.
{Steel duck} (Zo["o]l.), the goosander, or merganser. [Prov.
Eng.]
{Steel mill}.
(a) (Firearms) See {Wheel lock}, under {Wheel}.
(b) A mill which has steel grinding surfaces.
(c) A mill where steel is manufactured.
{Steel trap}, a trap for catching wild animals. It consists
of two iron jaws, which close by means of a powerful steel
spring when the animal disturbs the catch, or tongue, by
which they are kept open.
{Steel wine}, wine, usually sherry, in which steel filings
have been placed for a considerable time, -- used as a
medicine.
{Tincture of steel} (Med.), an alcoholic solution of the
chloride of iron.
{Tungsten steel} (Metal.), a variety of steel containing a
small amount of tungsten, and noted for its tenacity and
hardness, as well as for its malleability and tempering
qualities. It is also noted for its magnetic properties.