The Oxford Thesaurus An A-Z Dictionary of Synonyms - steel n.

1) sword, dagger, blade, knife, dirk, stiletto: He saw the flash of the cold steel in the moonlight. --v. 2) brace, nerve, stiffen, fortify, grit one's teeth, bear up, bite the bullet, screw up one's courage (to the sticking point) ; inure, insulate, protect: People must learn to steel themselves against criticism in this business.