steep

steep
steep1 S3 [sti:p] adj comparative steeper superlative steepest
[: Old English; Origin: steap 'high, steep, deep']
1.) a road, hill etc that is steep slopes at a high angle
The road became rocky and steep.
a steep climb to the top
2.) steep prices, charges etc are unusually expensive
≠ ↑low
steep rents
3.) involving a big increase or decrease
steep cuts in benefits
steep increase/rise
a steep increase in house prices
steep decrease/drop
a steep drop in orders
>steeply adv
>steepness n [U]
steep 2
steep2 v [I and T]
[Date: 1300-1400; Origin: From an unrecorded Old English stiepan]
1.) be steeped in history/tradition/politics etc
to have a lot of a particular quality
a town steeped in history
2.) to put food in a liquid and leave it there, so that it becomes soft or has the same taste as the liquid, or so that it gives the liquid its taste
Leave the tea bag to steep.

Dictionary of contemporary English. 2013.

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  • steep — [stiːp] adjective 1. steep prices, charges etc are unusually expensive: • Consumers are paying relatively steep prices for dairy products. • Anyone caught fiddling their expenses will face steep fines. 2. a steep increase or rise in something is… …   Financial and business terms

  • Steep — Steep, a. [Compar. {Steeper} ( [ e]r); superl. {Steepest}.] [OE. steep, step, AS. ste[ a]p; akin to Icel. steyp[eth]r steep, and st[=u]pa to stoop, Sw. stupa to fall, to tilt; cf. OFries. stap high. Cf. {Stoop}, v. i., {Steep}, v. t., {Steeple}.] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • steep — steep1 [stēp] adj. [ME < OE steap, lofty, high, akin to OFris steep, MHG stouf, cliff (as in Ger Hohenstaufen) < IE * steup < base * (s)teu , to strike, butt > STOCK, STUB, L tundere, to strike] 1. having a sharp rise or highly… …   English World dictionary

  • Steep — Steep, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Steeped} (st[=e]pt); p. pr. & vb. n. {Steeping}.] [OE. stepen, probably fr. Icel. steypa to cause to stoop, cast down, pour out, to cast metals, causative of st[=u]pa to stoop; cf. Sw. st[ o]pa to cast, to steep, Dan.… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • steep — adj Steep, abrupt, precipitous, sheer mean having an incline approaching the perpendicular. The words are here arranged in ascending order of degree of perpendicularity. Steep implies so sharp a slope or pitch that ascent or descent is difficult… …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • Steep — (st[=e]p), a. Bright; glittering; fiery. [Obs.] [1913 Webster] His eyen steep, and rolling in his head. Chaucer. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Steep-up — ( [u^]p ), a. Lofty and precipitous. [R.] [1913 Webster] Her stand she takes upon a steep up hill. Shak. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Steep — is a village in central Hampshire, England just outside the town of Petersfield. Since 1899 it has been the location of Bedales School, a progressive public school. The poets Edward Thomas (from 1906) and Robert Frost (briefly) lived in the… …   Wikipedia

  • steep — [adj1] extreme in direction, course abrupt, arduous, breakneck, declivitous, elevated, erect, headlong, high, hilly, lifted, lofty, perpendicular, precipitate, precipitous, prerupt, raised, sharp, sheer, straight up; concept 581 Ant. gentle, mild …   New thesaurus

  • steep — Ⅰ. steep [1] ► ADJECTIVE 1) rising or falling sharply; almost perpendicular. 2) (of a rise or fall in an amount) very large or rapid. 3) informal (of a price or demand) not reasonable; excessive. 4) informal (of a claim or account) exaggerated. ► …   English terms dictionary

  • steep|en — «steemh>puhn», intransitive verb. to become steep or steeper. –v.t. to make steep or steeper …   Useful english dictionary

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