Definition of STEEP

steep

Meanings

Plural: steeps

Noun

  • a steep place (as on a hill)
  • The steep side of a mountain etc.; a slope or acclivity.
  • A liquid used in a steeping process
  • A rennet bag.

Verb

  • devote (oneself) fully to
  • let sit in a liquid to extract a flavor or to cleanse
    • "steep the blossoms in oil"
    • "steep the fruit in alcohol"
  • To soak or wet thoroughly.
  • To imbue with something; to be deeply immersed in.
  • To make tea (or other beverage) by placing leaves in hot water.

Adjective

  • having a sharp inclination
    • "the steep attic stairs"
    • "steep cliffs"

Adjective Satellite

  • greatly exceeding bounds of reason or moderation
  • of a slope; set at a high angle
    • "note the steep incline"
    • "a steep roof sheds snow"

Adj

  • Of a near-vertical gradient; of a slope, surface, curve, etc. that proceeds upward at an angle near vertical.
  • Expensive.
  • Difficult to access; not easy reached; lofty; elevated; high.
  • resulting in a mast or windshield angle that strongly diverges from the perpendicular.

Origin / Etymology

From Middle English steep, from Old English stēap (“high”), from Proto-Germanic *staupaz, from Proto-Indo-European *(s)tewb- (“to push, stick”).
Compare Old Frisian stāp ("high, towering"; > Modern Saterland Frisian stiep (“steep”)), Dutch stoop (“grand; proud”), Middle High German stouf (“towering cliff, precipice”), Middle High German stief (“steep”)). The Proto-Indo-European root (and related) has many and varied descendants, including English stub; compare also Scots stap (“to strike, to forcibly insert”).
The sense of “sharp slope” is attested circa 1200; the sense “expensive” is attested US 1856.

Antonyms

gentle, gradual, shallow

Scrabble Score: 7

steep is a valid Scrabble (US) TWL word
steep is a valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
steep is a valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 8

steep is a valid Words With Friends word