steep1

[steep] /stip/
adjective, steeper, steepest.
1.
having an almost vertical slope or pitch, or a relatively high gradient, as a hill, an ascent, stairs, etc.
2.
(of a price or amount) unduly high; exorbitant:
Those prices are too steep for me.
3.
extreme or incredible, as a statement or story.
4.
high or lofty.
noun
5.
a steep place; declivity, as of a hill.
Origin
before 900; Middle English stepe (adj.), Old English stēap; akin to stoop1
Related forms
steeply, adverb
steepness, noun

steep2

[steep] /stip/
verb (used with object)
1.
to soak in water or other liquid, as to soften, cleanse, or extract some constituent:
to steep tea in boiling-hot water; to steep reeds for basket weaving.
2.
to wet thoroughly in or with a liquid; drench; saturate; imbue.
3.
to immerse in or saturate or imbue with some pervading, absorbing, or stupefying influence or agency:
an incident steeped in mystery.
verb (used without object)
4.
to lie soaking in a liquid.
noun
5.
the act or process of steeping or the state of being steeped.
6.
a liquid in which something is steeped.
Origin
1350-1400; (v.) Middle English stepen < ?; compare Swedish stöpa; (noun) late Middle English stepe, derivative of the v.
Related forms
steeper, noun
unsteeped, adjective
Synonyms
1. infuse. 2. permeate. 3. bury, engulf.
Examples from the web for steep
  • For years the steep canyon garden played host to weeds.
  • To keep the koi safe from marauding raccoons and great blue herons, the pond has steep sides and hiding places for the fish.
  • All three are fairly strenuous because of the steep return climb.
  • They let the syrup steep overnight, and whatever mix of blossom colors they use, the syrup seems to turn pink.
  • From your campsite, spot steep-walled canyons and crimson-colored rocks.
  • steep warm spices in cider, then spike the drink with a generous dose of dark rum.
  • Prices can get steep, but these are items worth a splurge.
  • Where the land doesn't sheer away beneath you, it rises in steep needle points.
  • He can look at a steep face of sandstone and see in it the fossilized ripples that the current deposited on the bed of the river.
  • Mountains soar straight up hundreds of feet on all sides, their slopes so steep they are almost cliffs.
British Dictionary definitions for steep

steep1

/stiːp/
adjective
1.
  1. having or being a slope or gradient approaching the perpendicular
  2. (as noun): the steep
2.
(informal) (of a fee, price, demand, etc) unduly high; unreasonable (esp in the phrase that's a bit steep)
3.
(informal) excessively demanding or ambitious: a steep task
4.
(Brit, informal) (of a statement) extreme or far-fetched
5.
(obsolete) elevated
Derived Forms
steeply, adverb
steepness, noun
Word Origin
Old English steap; related to Old Frisian stāp, Old High German stouf cliff, Old Norse staup

steep2

/stiːp/
verb
1.
to soak or be soaked in a liquid in order to soften, cleanse, extract an element, etc
2.
(transitive; usually passive) to saturate; imbue: steeped in ideology
noun
3.
an instance or the process of steeping or the condition of being steeped
4.
a liquid or solution used for the purpose of steeping something
Derived Forms
steeper, noun
Word Origin
Old English stēpan; related to steap vessel, cup, Old High German stouf, Old Norse staup, Middle Dutch stōp
Word Origin and History for steep
adj.

"having a sharp slope," Old English steap "high, lofty," from Proto-Germanic *staupaz (cf. Old Frisian stap, Middle High German *stouf), from PIE *steup- "to push, stick, knock, beat," with derivations referring to projecting objects (cf. Greek typtein "to strike," typos "a blow, mold, die;" Sanskrit tup- "harm," tundate "pushes, stabs;" Gothic stautan "push;" Old Norse stuttr "short"). The sense of "precipitous" is from c.1200. The slang sense "at a high price" is a U.S. coinage first attested 1856. Related: Steeply; steepness.

v.

"to soak in a liquid," late 14c., of uncertain origin, originally in reference to barley or malt, probably cognate with Old Norse steypa "to pour out, throw" (or an unrecorded Old English cognate), from Proto-Germanic *staupijanan. Related: Steeped; steeping.

Slang definitions & phrases for steep

steep

adjective

Expensive: steep prices