steep

I. adjective Etymology: Middle English stepe, from Old English stēap high, steep, deep; akin to Old Frisian stāp steep, Middle High German stief — more at stoop Date: before 12th century 1. lofty, high — used chiefly of a sea 2. making a large angle with the plane of the horizon 3. a. mounting or falling precipitously <

the stairs were very steep

> b. being or characterized by a rapid and intensive decline or increase 4. extremely or excessively high <

steep prices

> • steepish adjective • steeply adverb • steepness noun Synonyms: steep, abrupt, precipitous, sheer mean having an incline approaching the perpendicular. steep implies such sharpness of pitch that ascent or descent is very difficult <

a steep hill

> <

a steep dive

>. abrupt implies a sharper pitch and a sudden break in the level <

a beach with an abrupt drop-off

>. precipitous applies to an incline approaching the vertical <

the river winds through a precipitous gorge

>. sheer suggests an unbroken perpendicular expanse <

sheer cliffs that daunted the climbers

>. II. noun Date: 1555 a precipitous place III. verb Etymology: Middle English stepen Date: 14th century transitive verb 1. to soak in a liquid at a temperature under the boiling point (as for softening, bleaching, or extracting an essence) 2. to cover with or plunge into a liquid (as in bathing, rinsing, or soaking) 3. to saturate with or subject thoroughly to (some strong or pervading influence) <

practices steeped in tradition

> intransitive verb to undergo the process of soaking in a liquid Synonyms: see soak • steeper noun IV. noun Date: 15th century 1. the state or process of being steeped 2. a bath or solution in which something is steeped