wootz

English

Etymology

According to the American Heritage Dictionary, probably from a misreading of wook, an English transcription of (the root of) Kannada ಉಕ್ಕು (ukku),ಉರ್ಕು (urku, “steel”), Telugu ఉక్కు (ukku, “steel”); akin to Tamil உருகு (uruku, “to melt”) and உருக்கு (urukku, “melted thing, steel”).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /wuːts/
  • Rhymes: -uːts

Noun

wootz (countable and uncountable, plural wootzes)

  1. A type of steel from India, much admired for making sword blades.
    • 1863, Samuel Smiles, Industrial Biography:
      The celebrated wootz or steel of India, made in little cakes of only about two pounds weight, possesses qualities which no European steel can surpass.
    • 1884, Richard F[rancis] Burton, “The Proto-Sideric or Early Iron Age of Weapons”, in The Book of the Sword, London: Chatto and Windus, […], →OCLC, page 110:
      The ferrum Indicum of the Classics may still be represented by the famous Wootz or Wutz, the 'natural Indian steel,' still so much prized for Sword-blades in Persia and Afghanistan.

Usage notes

In earlier usage it appears as simply wootz (see quotations), later being referred to as wootz steel

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