Word Confusion: Steal versus Steel

Plural for the noun: steal
Gerund stealing

Third person present verb: steals
Past tense: stole
Past participle: stolen
Present participle: stealing

Plural for the noun: steels
Gerund: steeling

Third person present verb: steels
Past tense or past participle: steeled
Present participle: steeling

• [Chiefly North American] An act of stealing something
  • Theft
• An idea taken from another work
• [Baseball] An act of stealing a base
• [Chiefly basketball & hockey] An act of taking possession of the ball or puck from an opponent

[Informal] The thing stolen

• Booty

Verb, intransitive:
Take (another person’s property) without permission or legal right and without intending to return it

Move somewhere quietly, unobserved, or surreptitiously

To pass, happen, etc., imperceptibly, gently, or gradually

[Baseball; of a base runner] To advance a base without the help of a walk or batted ball

[Medical] The diversion of blood flow from its normal course

Verb, transitive:
Take (another person’s property) without permission or legal right and without intending to return it

• Dishonestly pass off (another person’s ideas) as one’s own
  • To appropriate (ideas, credit, words, etc.) without right or acknowledgment
• Take the opportunity to give or share (a kiss) when it is not expected or when people are not watching
• [In various sports] Gain an advantage, a run, or possession of the ball unexpectedly or by exploiting the temporary distraction of an opponent
• [Games] To gain (a point, advantage, etc.) by strategy, chance, or luck
• [Baseball; of a base runner] Advance safely to (the next base) by running to it as the pitcher begins the delivery

Direct a look quickly and unobtrusively

To take, get, or win insidiously, surreptitiously, subtly, or by chance

To move, bring, convey, or put secretly or quietly

• [Usually followed by away, from, in, into, etc.] Smuggle

To gain or seize more than one’s share of attention in, as by giving a superior performance

Like steel in color, hardness, or strength

Noun:
A hard, strong, gray or bluish-gray alloy of iron with carbon and usually other elements, used extensively as a structural and fabricating material

• Used as a symbol or embodiment of strength and firmness
• A rod of roughened steel on which knives are sharpened

A thing or things made of this metal

A flat strip of this metal used for stiffening, especially in corsets

• Stay

A bar of this metal that has one end formed to hold a bit for driving through rock

[Steels] Stocks or bonds of companies producing this metal

A sword

Verb, transitive:
Mentally prepare oneself to do or face something difficult

New York’s biggest art steal.

Melania Trump’s speech at the 2016 Republican National Convention was a steal.

John Lackey did his first career base steal when he was 38 years old.

Point guard Kaleb Joseph finished with eight points, four steals, and seven assists.

We’re dealing with a subclavian steal.

Verb, intransitive:
She was found guilty of stealing from her employers.

He stole down to the kitchen for more cookies.

A delicious languor was stealing over her.

The years steal by even when you’re looking.

Verb, transitive:
The thieves plan to steal her bicycle.

Accusations that one group had stolen ideas from the other were soon flying.

He was allowed to steal a kiss in the darkness.

And Mackey steals the ball, passes to Jones, only to have it stolen back by McCaffey.

Rickey steals third base . . . and took it home with him.

A glance back to steal a furtive glance at her was all he allowed himself.

Those jerks will steal someone blind some day.

He steals the show every night.

That jerk is gonna steal my thunder, I just know it.

We can steal the bicycle into the bedroom to surprise Henry.

Wow, this must be as hard as steel.

Noun:
That woman has got nerves of steel.

Our two-year-old has a steel will.

The carbon steel in my Chinese cleaver means immediate washing and then drying.

John, set out the stainless steel.

Some of these steels are rusting, milady.

Micon Products is the supplier of many types of high quality drill steel for pluggers, jack legs, bencher drills, and hand held rock drills.

The stock in steels is plummeting.

You dare draw steel on me?

Those steel girders are going up fast.

Janey has a steel made for her out of an old Jeep spring, and it keeps those edges sharp.

Verb, transitive:
I speak quickly, steeling myself for a mean reply.

Peter had to steel himself to open that door.

The verb dates from the late 16th century.