steele

S1T1E1E1L1E1
/stiːl/

proper noun

An English and Scottish surname originating as an occupation.

OriginMiddle English stele →
CommonScrabble 6
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Meanings

steele1

noun
  1. obsoleteObsolete spelling of steel.

    […] Like a man of Steele.

    c. 1606–1607 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Anthonie and Cleopatra”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene iv], line 33
    3 more examples

    Adieu! faint-hearted instrument of lust; / That falselie hath betrayde our equale trust. / Hence-forth no more will I implore thine ayde, / Or thee, or man of cowardize upbrayde. / My little dilldo shall suply their kinde: / A knaue, that moues as light as leaues by winde; / That bendeth not, nor fouldeth anie deale, / But stands as stiff as he were made of steele; / And playes at peacock twixt my leggs right blythe, / And doeth my tickling swage with manie a sighe. / For, by saint Runnion! he'le refresh me well; / And neuer make my tender bellie swell.

    c. 1592–1593 (date written), Thomas Nash[e], “The Choosing of Valentines”, in John S[tephen] Farmer, editor, The Choise of Valentines: Or The Merie Ballad of Nash His Dildo […], London: Privately printed for subscribers only, published 1899, →OCLC, pages 18–19, lines 233–244

    The purest part thereof [of iron ore] which in Latine is called Nucleus ferri, i. the kernell or heart of the yron (and it is that which we call steele)

    1601, C[aius] Plinius Secundus [i.e., Pliny the Elder], “[Book XXXIV.] XIV.”, in Philemon Holland, transl., The Historie of the World. Commonly Called, The Naturall Historie of C. Plinius Secundus. […], 2nd tome, London: […] Adam Islip, →OCLC, page 514

    Shall yron breake the Northren yron, and the steele?

    1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Jeremiah 15:12

Steele2

proper noun
  1. An English and Scottish surname originating as an occupation.

    Terry Steele is the second of three generations of his family to have worked at Seascale Fire Station, with his father Chris serving from 1978 to 2002 and his son George joining in 2024.

    2026 August 22, Samantha Jagger, “Firefighter's 'proud moment' for 35 year's service”, in BBC News, archived from the original on 23 Aug 2026, retrieved 03 Sep 2026
  2. A number of places in the United States:
    1. A town in St. Clair County, Alabama.
    2. A township in Conway County, Arkansas.
    3. An unincorporated community in Washington County, Arkansas.
    4. A township in Daviess County, Indiana.
    5. An unincorporated community in Pike County, Kentucky.
    6. A city in Pemiscot County, Missouri.
    7. A township in Rowan County, North Carolina.
    8. A small city, the county seat of Kidder County, North Dakota.
  3. A suburb of Essen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.

Origin

  1. Middle Englishstele“steel”
  2. EnglishSteele

From Middle English stele (“steel”); either a metal worker or a person considered to be as hard as steel.

More words from Middle English

Full word history & related roots →

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with steele

realmobilefeeldealsteelappealwheelsealmealNeilrevealreelstealheelpeelhealnealrepealtealsurrealcelalleleLilleconceal
All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

steele. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/steele

MLA

“steele.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/steele. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “steele,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/steele.

Source: steele on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.