noun
billet
A short bar of metal prepared for further processing.
The mill heated the steel billet before rolling it.
Etymology
The older word names a small log. The metalworking sense transfers that compact, solid form to a short piece of metal prepared for further shaping.
More examples
- A square billet moved along the production line.
- The forge shaped the billet into a rough bar.
- Workers stacked aluminum billets beside the press.
Forms
billet · billets