Steamship noun A ship or seagoing vessel propelled by the power of steam; a steamer.

Steamy adjective Consisting of, or resembling, steam; full of steam; vaporous; misty. Cowper.

Stean noun & v. See Steen . Spenser.

Steaningp noun See Steening .

Steapsin noun (Physiol Chem.) An unorganized ferment or enzyme present in pancreatic juice. It decomposes neutral fats into glycerin and fatty acids.

Stearate noun (Chemistry) A salt of stearic acid; as, ordinary soap consists largely of sodium or potassium stearates .

Stearic adjective [ Confer French stéarique .] (Physiol. Chem.) Pertaining to, or obtained from, stearin or tallow; resembling tallow.

Stearic acid (Chemistry) , a monobasic fatty acid, obtained in the form of white crystalline scales, soluble in alcohol and ether. It melts to an oily liquid at 69°C.

Stearin noun [ Greek ... tallow, suet: confer French stéarine .] (Physiol. Chem.) One of the constituents of animal fats and also of some vegetable fats, as the butter of cacao. It is especially characterized by its solidity, so that when present in considerable quantity it materially increases the hardness, or raises the melting point, of the fat, as in mutton tallow. Chemically, it is a compound of glyceryl with three molecules of stearic acid, and hence is technically called tristearin , or glyceryl tristearate .

Stearolic adjective [ Stear ic + ol eic + -ic .] (Chemistry) Of, pertaining to, or designating, an acid of the acetylene series, isologous with stearis acid, and obtained, as a white crystalline substance, from oleïc acid.

Stearone noun (Chemistry) The ketone of stearic acid, obtained as a white crystalline substance, (C ₁₇ H ₃₅ ) ₂ .CO, by the distillation of calcium stearate.

Stearoptene noun [ Stear ic + -optene as in elæ optene .] (Chemistry) The more solid ingredient of certain volatile oils; -- contrasted with elæoptene .

Stearrhea noun [ New Latin , from Greek ... tallow + ... to flow.] (Medicine) seborrhea.

Stearyl noun [ Stear ic + - yl .] (Chemistry) The hypothetical radical characteristic of stearic acid.

Steatite noun [ Greek ..., ..., fat, tallow: confer French stéatite .] (Min.) A massive variety of talc, of a grayish green or brown color. It forms extensive beds, and is quarried for fireplaces and for coarse utensils. Called also potstone , lard stone , and soapstone .

Steatitic noun (Min.) Pertaining to, or of the nature of, steatite; containing or resembling steatite.

Steatoma noun [ Latin , from Greek ..., from ... to turn into tallow or suet, from ..., ..., fat, suet.] (Medicine) A cyst containing matter like suet.

Steatomatous adjective (Medicine) Of the nature of steatoma.

Steatopyga noun [ New Latin , from Greek ..., ..., fat + ... the buttocks.] A remarkable accretion of fat upon the buttocks of Africans of certain tribes, especially of Hottentot women.

Steatopygous adjective Having fat buttocks.

Specimens of the steatopygous Abyssinian breed.

Burton.

Sted noun , Sted"fast adjective , Sted"fast*ly adverb , etc. See Stead , Steadfast , etc.

Stee noun [ Confer German stiege . √164. See Stair .] A ladder. [ Obsolete or Prov. Eng.] [ Written also stey .]

Steed noun [ Middle English stede , Anglo-Saxon stēda a stud-horse, war horse, from stōd a stud of breeding steeds; akin to German stute a mare, Icelandic stedda , stō... , a stud. √163. See Stud of horses.] A horse, especially a spirited horse for state of war; -- used chiefly in poetry or stately prose. "A knight upon a steed ." Chaucer.

Mounted upon a hot and fiery steed .

Shak.

Steedless adjective Having no steed; without a horse.

Steek, Steik transitive verb [ Confer Stick , transitive verb ] To pierce with a sharp instrument; hence, to stitch; to sew; also, to fix; to fasten. [ Scot.]

Steel noun [ Anglo-Saxon stēl , stȳl , stȳle ; akin to Dutch staal , German stahl , Old High German stahal , Icelandic stāl , Danish staal , Swedish stål , Old Prussian stakla .]
1. (Metal) A variety of iron intermediate in composition and properties between wrought iron and cast iron (containing between one half of one per cent and one and a half per cent of carbon), and consisting of an alloy of iron with an iron carbide. Steel, unlike wrought iron, can be tempered, and retains magnetism. Its malleability decreases, and fusibility increases, with an increase in carbon.

2. An instrument or implement made of steel ; as: --

(a) A weapon, as a sword, dagger, etc. "Brave Macbeth . . . with his brandished steel ." Shak.

While doubting thus he stood,
Received the steel bathed in his brother's blood.

Dryden.

(b) An instrument of steel (usually a round rod) for sharpening knives.

(c) A piece of steel for striking sparks from flint.

3. Fig.: Anything of extreme hardness; that which is characterized by sternness or rigor. "Heads of steel ." Johnson. "Manhood's heart of steel ." Byron.

4. (Medicine) A chalybeate medicine. Dunglison.

» Steel is often used in the formation of compounds, generally of obvious meaning; as, steel -clad, steel - girt, steel -hearted, steel -plated, steel -pointed, etc.

Bessemer steel (Metal.) See in the Vocabulary. -- Blister steel . (Metal.) See under Blister . -- Cast steel (Metal.) , a fine variety of steel, originally made by smelting blister or cementation steel; hence, ordinarily, steel of any process of production when remelted and cast. -- Cromium steel (Metal.) , a hard, tenacious variety containing a little cromium, and somewhat resembling tungsten steel . -- Mild steel (Metal.) , a kind of steel having a lower proportion of carbon than ordinary steel, rendering it softer and more malleable. -- Puddled steel (Metal.) , a variety of steel produced from cast iron by the puddling process. -- Steel duck (Zoology) , the goosander, or merganser. [ Prov. Eng.] -- Steel mill . (a) (Firearms) See Wheel lock , under Wheel . (b) A mill which has steel grinding surfaces . (c) A mill where steel is manufactured. -- Steel trap , a trap for catching wild animals. It consists of two iron jaws, which close by means of a powerful steel spring when the animal disturbs the catch, or tongue, by which they are kept open. -- Steel wine , wine, usually sherry, in which steel filings have been placed for a considerable time, -- used as a medicine. -- Tincture of steel (Medicine) , an alcoholic solution of the chloride of iron. -- Tungsten steel (Metal.) , a variety of steel containing a small amount of tungsten, and noted for its tenacity and hardness, as well as for its malleability and tempering qualities. It is also noted for its magnetic properties.

Steel transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Steeled ; present participle & verbal noun Steeling .] [ Anglo-Saxon stlan : confer Icelandic stæla . See Steel , noun ]
1. To overlay, point, or edge with steel; as, to steel a razor; to steel an ax.

2. To make hard or strong; hence, to make insensible or obdurate.

Lies well steeled with weighty arguments.

Shak.

O God of battles! steel my soldier's hearts.

Shak.

Why will you fight against so sweet a passion,
And steel your heart to such a world of charms?

Addison.

3. Fig.: To cause to resemble steel, as in smoothness, polish, or other qualities.

These waters, steeled
By breezeless air to smoothest polish.

Wordsworth.

4. (Electricity) To cover, as an electrotype plate, with a thin layer of iron by electrolysis. The iron thus deposited is very hard, like steel.

Steelbow goods (Scots Law) Those goods on a farm, such as corn, cattle, implements husbandry, etc., which may not be carried off by a removing tenant, as being the property of the landlord.

Steeler noun One who points, edges, or covers with steel.

Steeler noun (Shipbuilding) Same as Stealer .

Steelhead noun
1. (Zoology) A North Pacific salmon ( Salmo Gairdneri ) found from Northern California to Siberia; -- called also hardhead , and preesil .

2. (Zoology) The ruddy duck.

Steeliness noun The quality of being steely.

Steeling noun The process of pointing, edging, or overlaying with steel; specifically, acierage. See Steel , v.

Steely adjective
1. Made of steel; consisting of steel. "The steely point of Clifford's lance." Shak.

Around his shop the steely sparkles flew.

Gay.

2. Resembling steel; hard; firm; having the color of steel. "His hair was steely gray." The Century.

She would unarm her noble heart of that steely resistance against the sweet blows of love.

Sir P. Sidney.

Steely iron , a compound of iron containing less than one half of one per cent of carbon.

Steelyard noun [ So named from a place in London called the Steelyard , which was a yard in which steel was sold.] A form of balance in which the body to be weighed is suspended from the shorter arm of a lever, which turns on a fulcrum, and a counterpoise is caused to slide upon the longer arm to produce equilibrium, its place upon this arm (which is notched or graduated) indicating the weight; a Roman balance; -- very commonly used also in the plural form, steelyards .

Steem noun & v. See Esteem . [ Obsolete] Spenser.

Steem noun & v. See 1st and 2nd Stem . [ Obsolete] Chaucer.

Steen noun [ Anglo-Saxon st...na . See Stone .] [ Written also stean .]
1. A vessel of clay or stone. "An huge great earth-pot steane ." Spenser.

2. A wall of brick, stone, or cement, used as a lining, as of a well, cistern, etc.; a steening.

Steen transitive verb [ Anglo-Saxon st...nan to adorn with stones or gems. See Stone .] To line, as a well, with brick, stone, or other hard material. [ Written also stean , and stein .]

Steenbok noun [ Dutch steen stone + bok buck.] (Zoology) Same as Steinbock .

Steening noun A lining made of brick, stone, or other hard material, as for a well. [ Written also steaning .]

Steenkirk, Steinkirk noun [ So called from the battle of Steinkirk , in 1692, on which occasion the French nobles had no time to arrange their lace neckcloths.] A kind of neckcloth worn in a loose and disorderly fashion.

Steep (stēp) adjective Bright; glittering; fiery. [ Obsolete]

His eyen steep , and rolling in his head.

Chaucer.

Steep transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Steeped (stēpt); present participle & verbal noun Steeping .] [ Middle English stepen , probably from Icelandic steypa to cause to stoop, cast down, pour out, to cast metals, causative of stūpa to stoop; confer Swedish stöpa to cast, to steep, Danish stöbe , D. & German stippen to steep, to dip. Confer Stoop , transitive verb ] 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 .

Shak.

In refreshing dew to steep
The little, trembling flowers.

Wordsworth.

The learned of the nation were steeped in Latin.

Earle.

Steep intransitive verb 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 adjective [ Comper. Steeper ; superl. Steepest .] [ Middle English steep , step , Anglo-Saxon steáp ; akin to Icelandic steyp...r steep, and stūpa to stoop, Swedish stupa to fall, to tilt; confer OFries. stap high. Confer Stoop , intransitive verb , Steep , transitive verb , 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 easy reached; lofty; elevated; high. [ Obsolete] 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.

Steep-down adjective Deep and precipitous, having steep descent. [ R.]

Wash me in steep-down gulfs of liquid fire.

Shak.

Steepen intransitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Steepened ; present participle & verbal noun Steepening .] To become steep or steeper.

As the way steepened . . . I could detect in the hollow of the hill some traces of the old path.

H. Miller.

Steeper noun A vessel, vat, or cistern, in which things are steeped.