Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. (US Und., also still) a knife.

1893		S. Crane Maggie, a Girl of the Streets (2001) 20: I see he had a still on an’ I didn’ wanna giv ’im no stuff.
1898		Dave Reed ‘Mister Johnson Don’t Get Gay With Me’ 🎵 ’Cause he saw a lot of vicious niggers feel / Round de trusty pocket, where they keep their steel.
1907		S.E. White Arizona Nights II 221: I’ll go yore little old gun fight to a finish, but I don’t want any cold steel in mine. [...] With a gun it’s down and out, but this knife work is too slow and searchin’.
1911		G. Bronson-Howard Enemy to Society 240: Two officious policemen in uniform detailed by Janissary’s request to guard against the possibility of some shivering wretch resenting with cold steel the gathering together of so many of his enemies for merrymaking.
1926		S. O’Casey Plough and the Stars Act IV: Gawd, when we get th’ bloighter, we’ll give ’im the cold steel, we will. We’ll jab the belly aht of ’im, we will!
1935		Z.N. Hurston Mules and Men (1995) 147: Everybody knew she was prepared to back her brag with cold steel in some form [...] A click beside me and I knew that the spring blade knife that Big Sweet carries was open.
1947		N. Algren ‘El Presidente de Méjico’ in Texas Stories (1995) 84: And let a greaser sass him / He was shore to feel his steel.
1956		H. Ellison ‘I’ll Bet You a Death’ in Deadly Streets (1983) 42: He shoved his steel into the cop.
1977		E. Bunker Animal Factory 30: He’s big . . . we ought to get some steel.
1985		S. Berkoff West in Decadence and Other Plays (1985) 95: Get chains and mallets / choppers and fine steel.
2000		Other Side of the Wall: Prisoner’s Dict. July 🌐 Steel: A shank or homemade prison knife. (VA).
2001		D. Looser Boobslang [U. Canterbury D.Phil. thesis] 177/2: steel n. 1 a knife or blade.
2015		150 ‘4 Door Truck’ 🎵 All my youngers are savage there catting to grab on the steel.

2. (US black, also cold steel) a gun.

1902		O. Wister Virginian 29: He has handed Trampas the choice to back down or draw his steel.
1911		G. Bronson-Howard Enemy to Society 265: His folded hands concealed the drooping barrel of blued steel that they held.
1944		C.S. Montanye ‘Shoulder Straps’ in Thrilling Detective Feb. 🌐 ‘I’ll get his steel.’ Humpty felt around with small, grimy hands.
1957		H. Ellison ‘Kid Killer’ in Deadly Streets (1983) 110: We want that gun [...] Steel like that don’t come along very often.
1989		Public Enemy ‘Black Steel in the House of Chaos’ 🎵 I trigger my steel.
1994		Warren G. ‘Regulate’ 🎵 But you can’t be any geek off the street. You gotta be handy with the steel if you know what I mean, earn your keep.
1997		T. Fontana ‘Plan B’ Oz ser. 1 ep. 7 [TV script] I put the steel to her grill [...] ‘I’m gonna let two shots off in your dome-piece’.
2001		D. Looser Boobslang [U. Canterbury D.Phil. thesis] 177/2: steel n. 2 (also cold steel) a firearm.
2002		‘Touré’ Portable Promised Land (ms.) 158: We Words (My Favorite Things) [...] Packin steel. Hittin switches. Throwin signs. Taggin up.
2010		Hopsin ‘I Can’t Decide’ 🎵 Every time some shit be poppin off, y’all pull the steel out.
2021		T. Pluck Boy from County Hell 195: Hammerless double-action German steel.