steep

a. [ Compar. Steeper superl. 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, v. i., Steep, v. 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. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Difficult of access; not easily reached; lofty; elevated; high. [ Obs. ] Chapman. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Excessive; as, a steep price. [ Slang ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 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. [ 1913 Webster ]

We had on each side naked rocks and mountains broken into a thousand irregular steeps and precipices. Addison. [ 1913 Webster ]

Bare steeps, where desolation stalks. Wordsworth. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Bright; glittering; fiery. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

His eyen steep, and rolling in his head. Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Steeped 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, v. 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. [ 1913 Webster ]

Let fancy still my sense in Lethe steep. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

In refreshing dew to steep
The little, trembling flowers. Wordsworth. [ 1913 Webster ]

The learned of the nation were steeped in Latin. Earle. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To undergo the process of soaking in a liquid; as, the tea is steeping. [ Colloq. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. Something steeped, or used in steeping; a fertilizing liquid to hasten the germination of seeds. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A rennet bag. [ Prov. Eng. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Deep and precipitous; having steep descent. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Wash me in steep-down gulfs of liquid fire. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. [ imp. & p. p. Steepened p. pr. & vb. n. Steepening. ] To become steep or steeper. [ 1913 Webster ]

As the way steepened . . . I could detect in the hollow of the hill some traces of the old path. H. Miller. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A vessel, vat, or cistern, in which things are steeped. [ 1913 Webster ]