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Webster 1913 Edition

Steep

Steep

(stēp)
,
Adj.
Bright; glittering; fiery.
[Obs.]
His eyen
steep
, and rolling in his head.
Chaucer.

Steep

,
Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Steeped
(stēpt)
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Steeping
.]
[OE.
stepen
, probably fr. Icel.
steypa
to cause to stoop, cast down, pour out, to cast metals, causative of
stūpa
to stoop; cf. Sw.
stöpa
to cast, to steep, Dan.
stöbe
, D. & G.
stippen
to steep, to dip. Cf.
Stoop
,
Verb.
I.
]
To soak in a liquid; to macerate; to extract the essence of by soaking;
as, to soften seed by
steeping
it in water
. Often used figuratively.
Let fancy still my sense in Lethe
steep
.
Shakespeare
In refreshing dew to
steep

The little, trembling flowers.
Wordsworth.
The learned of the nation were
steeped
in Latin.
Earle.

Steep

,
Verb.
I.
To undergo the process of soaking in a liquid;
as, the tea is
steeping
.
[Colloq.]

Steep

,
Noun.
1.
Something steeped, or used in steeping; a fertilizing liquid to hasten the germination of seeds.
2.
A rennet bag.
[Prov. Eng.]

Steep

,
Adj.
[
Com
par.
Steeper
(-ẽr)
;
sup
erl.
Steepest
.]
[OE.
steep
,
step
, AS.
steáp
; akin to Icel.
steypðr
steep, and
stūpa
to stoop, Sw.
stupa
to fall, to tilt; cf. OFries.
stap
high. Cf.
Stoop
,
Verb.
I.
,
Steep
,
Verb.
T.
,
Steeple
.]
1.
Making a large angle with the plane of the horizon; ascending or descending rapidly with respect to a horizontal line or a level; precipitous;
as, a
steep
hill or mountain; a
steep
roof; a
steep
ascent; a
steep
declivity; a
steep
barometric gradient
.
2.
Difficult of access; not easily reached; lofty; elevated; high.
[Obs.]
Chapman.
3.
Excessive;
as, a
steep
price
.
[Slang]

Steep

,
Noun.
A precipitous place, hill, mountain, rock, or ascent; any elevated object sloping with a large angle to the plane of the horizon; a precipice.
Dryden.
We had on each side naked rocks and mountains broken into a thousand irregular
steeps
and precipices.
Addison.
Bare
steeps
, where desolation stalks.
Wordsworth.

Webster 1828 Edition

Steep

STEEP

,
Adj.
Making a large angle with the plane of the horizon; ascending or descending with a great inclination; precipitous; as a steep hill or mountain; a steep roof; a steep ascent; a steep declivity.

STEEP

,
Noun.
A precipitous place, hill, mountain, rock or ascent; any elevated object which slopes with a large angle to the plane of the horizon; a precipice.
We had on each side rocks and mountains broken into a thousand irregular steps and precipices.

STEEP

,
Verb.
T.
[probably formed on the root of dip.] To soak in a liquid; to macerate; to imbue; to keep any thing in a liquid till it has thoroughly imbibed it, or till the liquor has extracted the essential qualities of the substance. Thus cloth is steeped in lye or other liquid in bleaching or dyeing. But plants and drugs are steeped in water, wine and the like, for the purpose of tincturing the liquid with their qualities.

STEEP

,
Noun.
A liquid for steeping grain or seeds; also, a runnet bag. [Local.]

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