wire wool
1
4.6
- noun
- /ˈwaɪər wʊl/
- UK
:
lana de acero
- The craftsmen polished the old furniture with wire wool for a smooth finish.
Examples
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You can also put wire wool and vinegar together and let kids feel how the two heat up (because the wire wool is rusting and the vinegar is speeding the process up).
Blog text (10) -
If lubricant on your own doesn't fix your home squeaking problems, try using wire wool.
Blog text (24) -
And we scavenge something like wire wool from any kitchen or supermarket.
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You can also put wire wool and vinegar together and let kids feel how the two heat up (because the wire wool is rusting and the vinegar is speeding the process up).
Blog text (10) -
She used wire wool to scrub the dirty pots until they shined like new.
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For a clean surface, you can gently rub wire wool over the metal before painting.
Synonyms
4
3.0
A pad of thin metal strands used to clean and smooth surfaces
1
3.2
A small cleaning tool of thin metal threads used to remove dirt or smooth surfaces
How Abrasive
Surface Forms
Morphology
wire + wool
The compound is directly built from two concrete nouns: 'wire' (metal strand) + 'wool' (a fibrous mass), which yields the idea of fibrous metal used for cleaning or polishing. This compositional pattern (cf. 'steel wool' / 'lana de acero') is transparent and predictable for a B1 learner who knows the constituent words.
Etymology
Wire wool is named for how it looks: thin bits of wire tangled together like wool. Because this metal 'wool' is used for 'cleaning' and 'polishing' surfaces, the name now means a mass of fine steel fibers used to scrub or smooth things.