steal
/ˈstil/
verbnoun
Core
1.v.take without the owner's consent
“Someone stole my wallet on the train”
2.v.move stealthily
“The ship slipped away in the darkness”
3.v.steal a base
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steal and steel are homophones: they are pronounced identically and spelled differently, which is why they are so often swapped. steal means “take without the owner's consent”. steel means “an alloy of iron with small amounts of carbon; widely used in construction; mechanical properties can be varied over a wide range”. steal is the more common of the two in everyday English.
/ˈstil/
1.v.take without the owner's consent
“Someone stole my wallet on the train”
2.v.move stealthily
“The ship slipped away in the darkness”
3.v.steal a base
/ˈstil/
| steal | steel | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ˈstil/ | /ˈstil/ |
| Said | steel | steel |
| Syllables | 1 | 1 |
| Letters | 5 | 5 |
| Parts of speech | verb, noun | noun, verb |
| Senses | 5 | 5 |
| How common | Core | Common |
| Synonyms | rip off, rip | none recorded |
Full entry for steal · Full entry for steel · More comparisons
1.n.an alloy of iron with small amounts of carbon; widely used in construction; mechanical properties can be varied over a wide range
2.n.a cutting or thrusting weapon that has a long metal blade and a hilt with a hand guard
3.n.knife sharpener consisting of a ridged steel rod