Definition

Noun: * Thin steel wire of high tensile strength: A very strong, thin wire made of high-carbon steel, originally designed for use in piano strings but also employed in various other applications requiring a strong, flexible, and resilient wire.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The craftsman used piano wire to create a nearly invisible but extremely strong support for the sculpture.
  • In the old thriller, the spy was threatened with a garrote made of piano wire.
  • The mechanism relies on the spring-like properties of a tightly wound coil of piano wire.

Advanced Usage

• "As strong as piano wire": An idiomatic comparison used to describe something that is exceptionally strong for its thinness or delicate appearance.
  • The fishing line was as strong as piano wire, capable of landing a huge fish.

Variants and Related Words

• Music wire: A synonym for piano wire, especially when referring to its use in mechanical devices or springs.
• High-tensile steel wire: A more general technical term describing the material property of piano wire.

Synonyms

• Music wire
• Spring wire
• High-carbon steel wire

Related Idioms

• To have nerves of piano wire: To be exceptionally calm and steady under extreme pressure, implying strength and resilience.
  • The surgeon had nerves of piano wire, remaining perfectly steady during the complex operation.

Noun

1. thin steel wire of high tensile strength