Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A hard, high-carbon steel developed in India around 300 BC, used in the production of Damascus steel.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun The name given to steel made in India by fusing iron with carbonaceous matter.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun A species of steel imported from the East Indies, valued for making edge tools; Indian steel. It has in combination a minute portion of alumina and silica.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A famous type of steel from India, much admired for making sword blades.

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Probably from a misreading of an English transcription of Kannada ukku, urku, steel; akin to Tamil uruku, to melt and urukku, melted thing, steel.]

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Examples

Comments

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  • An actual term describing a type of steel, or used when referring to such steel as a synecdoche. See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wootz_steel

    January 4, 2007

  • This definition identifies the traditional use of this word. As demonstrated by the Twitter citations, the word has reappeared as an interjection: Wootz! Usage indicates the meaning is something akin to 'Wow!' or 'Do you believe that?' or 'That's amazing!' I don't know the origin, but it appears to be widespread.

    July 14, 2009

  • The Urban Dictionary reports the meaning as: "Adj - Used when describing something that is awful, appalling, gross or unpleasant."

    July 20, 2009

  • The Urban Dictionary reports the meaning as: "Adj - Used when describing something that is awful, appalling, gross or unpleasant."

    July 20, 2009