a. 1. Made of steel; consisting of steel. “The steely point of Clifford's lance.” Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

Around his shop the steely sparkles flew. Gay. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Resembling steel; hard; firm; having the color of steel. “His hair was steely gray.” The Century. [ 1913 Webster ]

She would unarm her noble heart of that steely resistance against the sweet blows of love. Sir P. Sidney. [ 1913 Webster ]

Steely iron, a compound of iron containing less than one half of one per cent of carbon. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ So named from a place in London called the Steelyard, which was a yard in which steel was sold. ] A form of balance in which the body to be weighed is suspended from the shorter arm of a lever, which turns on a fulcrum, and a counterpoise is caused to slide upon the longer arm to produce equilibrium, its place upon this arm (which is notched or graduated) indicating the weight; a Roman balance; -- very commonly used also in the plural form, steelyards. [ 1913 Webster ]