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medium steel

medium steel

5.7
A type of steel that is not very soft or very hard used when strength and flexibility are needed
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : acero medio
  • The construction project specified medium steel for its beams to balance strength and flexibility.

Examples

  • Automotive components are often made from medium steel due to its durability.

  • Welders must adjust their technique when working with medium steel to ensure optimal joint strength.

  • The medium steel is strong.

  • Don't forget to use medium steel!

  • Many manufacturers choose medium steel for parts that require both strength and flexibility in their design.

  • Due to its balanced properties, medium steel is ideal for making tools that need to withstand significant stress.

  • For the new bridge, engineers decided to use medium steel because it offers a combination of strength and ductility.

How Carbon-Rich

hard steel
  • Specialized
4.6
medium steel
  • Specialized
5.7
low-carbon steel
  • Specialized
3.8

Surface Forms

medium steel singular
medium steels plural

Morphology

medium + steel

The meaning is compositional: 'medium' as an adjective indicating an intermediate degree applied to 'steel' (a kind of metal). A B1 learner who knows both words can infer that this denotes a steel of moderate grade/quality (e.g., intermediate carbon content) and understand the general idea of balance between strength and ductility without specialized metallurgical knowledge.

Etymology

The compound medium steel gets its name from medium meaning 'in the middle' and steel the metal. It has a middle amount of carbon, so it is strong but can still bend a little, and that 'in the middle' quality is why makers call it 'medium'.