'steel-made' originates from Modern English compounding of the noun 'steel' and the past-participial adjective 'made' (literally 'made of/with steel').

'steel-made' is a transparent modern compound formed from 'steel' (from Old English and Germanic roots such as Old English 'stēal' / Old High German 'stahl') and 'made' (past participle of 'make', from Old English 'macian'/'mecgan'), combining in Modern English as an adjective phrase.

Initially the components meant 'steel' and 'made'; the compound has retained the straightforward meaning 'made of steel' in current usage.