Phrase guide

steel wool

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

noun

Meaning 1

Fine strips or threads of steel, usually formed into pads or balls and used as an abrasive.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Examples

  • Don’t use the steel wool on this pan; you’ll strip off the Teflon coating.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: wire wool[Appendix:Glossary, wool

2

noun

Meaning 2

a mass of woven steel fibers used as an abrasive

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: wire wool

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: abrasive, abradant, abrasive material

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

40 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: سِلْك اَلتَّنْظِيف (silk at-tanẓīf) — fine threads of steel
  • Chinese Mandarin: 鋼絲絨 /钢丝绒 (gāngsīróng) — fine threads of steel
  • Chinese Mandarin: 鋼絲球 /钢丝球 (gāngsīqiú) — fine threads of steel
  • Czech: drátěnka — fine threads of steel
  • Danish: ståluld — fine threads of steel
  • Dutch: staalwol — fine threads of steel
  • Finnish: teräsvilla — fine threads of steel
  • French: paille de fer — fine threads of steel
  • German: Stahlwolle — fine threads of steel
  • Hungarian: acélgyapot — fine threads of steel
  • Hungarian: acélforgács — fine threads of steel
  • Hungarian: fémforgács — fine threads of steel
  • Hungarian: vasforgács — fine threads of steel
  • Hungarian: fémsúroló — fine threads of steel
  • Hungarian: dörzskefe — fine threads of steel
  • Hungarian: dörzsi — fine threads of steel
  • Icelandic: stálull — fine threads of steel
  • Italian: paglietta — fine threads of steel
  • Macedonian: челична волна (čelična volna) — fine threads of steel
  • Māori: wūru maitai — fine threads of steel
  • Mongolian: төмөр зүлгүүр (tömör zülgüür) — fine threads of steel
  • Norwegian Bokmål: stålull — fine threads of steel
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: stålull — fine threads of steel
  • Polish: wełna stalowa — fine threads of steel
  • Portuguese: palha de aço — fine threads of steel
  • Portuguese: esponja de aço — fine threads of steel
  • Portuguese: lã de aço — fine threads of steel
  • Portuguese: bombril — fine threads of steel
  • Romanian: burete de sârmă — fine threads of steel
  • Spanish: estropajo de acero — fine threads of steel
  • Spanish: esponja metálica — fine threads of steel
  • Spanish: zacate de alambre — fine threads of steel
  • Spanish: virutilla — fine threads of steel
  • Spanish: virulana — fine threads of steel
  • Spanish: fregajo de aluminio — fine threads of steel
  • Spanish: nanas — fine threads of steel
  • Swedish: stålull — fine threads of steel
  • Swedish: svinto — fine threads of steel
  • Turkish: bulaşık teli — fine threads of steel
  • Turkish: tel — fine threads of steel