[steep] adj [ME stepe, fr. OE steap high, steep, deep; akin to MHG stief steep] (bef. 12c) 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 ~" b: being or characterized by a rapid and intensive decline or increase
4: extremely or excessively high "~ prices" -- steep.ish adj -- steep.ly adv -- steep.ness n syn 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".
[2]steep n (1555): a precipitous place [3]steep vb [ME stepen; akin to Sw stopa to steep] vt (14c) 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 ~ed in tradition" ~ vi: to undergo the process of soaking in a liquid syn see soak -- steep.er n [4]steep n (15c) 1: the state or process of being steeped
2: a bath or solution in which something is steeped