Definitions

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

  • noun A nonmagnetic solid solution of iron and another alloying element, usually assumed to be carbon unless otherwise specified, used in making corrosion-resistant steel.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun A constituent of steel, obtained by quenching high carbon steel from a temperature of 1000° C. in a menstruum such as iced brine, which will produce very rapid cooling.

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

  • noun (Metallurgy) a solid solution of ferric carbide or carbon in iron; -- it cools to form pearlite or martensite.

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

  • noun A solid solution or carbon or ferric carbide in iron that exists in steel at high temperatures

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun a solid solution of ferric carbide or carbon in iron; cools to form pearlite or martensite

Etymologies

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

[After Sir William Chandler Roberts- Austen, (1843–1902), British metallurgist.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Named after William Roberts-Austen (1843-1902).

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Examples

Comments

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  • early type of stainless (corrosion resistant) steel. Was it allegorically well-named after Jane Austen who was renown for her steadfastness and staying power? No matter. She is a pearl(ite?(light?))in her own write.

    January 18, 2011