Steepish Steep"ish adjective Somewhat steep. Carlyle.

Steeple Stee"ple noun [ Middle English stepel , Anglo-Saxon stēpel , st...pel ; akin to English steep , adjective ] (Architecture) A spire; also, the tower and spire taken together; the whole of a structure if the roof is of spire form. See Spire . "A weathercock on a steeple ." Shak.

Rood steeple . See Rood tower , under Rood . -- Steeple bush (Botany) , a low shrub ( Spiræa tomentosa ) having dense panicles of minute rose-colored flowers; hardhack. -- Steeple chase , a race across country between a number of horsemen, to see which can first reach some distant object, as a church steeple; hence, a race over a prescribed course obstructed by such obstacles as one meets in riding across country, as hedges, walls, etc. -- Steeple chaser , one who rides in a steeple chase; also, a horse trained to run in a steeple chase. -- Steeple engine , a vertical back- acting steam engine having the cylinder beneath the crosshead. -- Steeple house , a church. [ Obsolete] Jer. Taylor.

Steeple-crowned Stee"ple-crowned` adjective 1. Bearing a steeple; as, a steeple- crowned building.

2. Having a crown shaped like a steeple; as, a steeple-crowned hat; also, wearing a hat with such a crown.

This grave, beared, sable-cloaked, and steeple- crowned progenitor.

Hawthorne.

Steeplechasing Stee"ple·chas`ing noun The act of riding steeple chases.

Steepled Stee"pled adjective Furnished with, or having the form of, a steeple; adorned with steeples. Fairfax.

Steeply Steep"ly adverb In a steep manner; with steepness; with precipitous declivity.

Steepness Steep"ness noun 1. Quality or state of being steep; precipitous declivity; as, the steepness of a hill or a roof.

2. Height; loftiness. [ Obsolete] Chapman.

Steepy Steep"y adjective Steep; precipitous. [ Poetic]

No more, my goats, shall I belong you climb
The steepy cliffs, or crop the flow'ry thyme.

Dryden.

Steer Steer noun [ Middle English steer , Anglo-Saxon steór ; akin to D. & German stier a bull, Old High German stior , Icelandic stjōrr , ...jōrr , Swedish tjur , Danish tyr , Goth. stiur , Russian tur' , Pol. tur , Ir. & Gael. tarbh , W. tarw , Latin taurus , Greek ..., Sanskrit sth...ra strong, stout, Anglo-Saxon stor large, Icelandic stōrr , Old High German st...ri , stiuri . √168. Confer Stirk , Taurine , adjective ] A young male of the ox kind; especially, a common ox; a castrated taurine male from two to four years old. See the Note under Ox .

Steer Steer transitive verb To castrate; -- said of male calves.

Steer Steer transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Steered ; present participle & verbal noun Steering .] [ Middle English steeren , steren , Anglo-Saxon stiéran , st...ran , steóran ; akin to OFries. stiora , stiura , Dutch sturen , OD. stieren , German steuren , Old High German stiuren to direct, support, German steuer contribution, tax, Icelandic st...ra to steer, govern,Sw. styra , Danish styre , Goth. stiurjan to establish, Anglo-Saxon steór a rudder, a helm, and probably to Icelandic staurr a pale, stake, Greek ..., and perhaps ultimately to English stand . √168. Confer Starboard , Stern , noun ] To direct the course of; to guide; to govern; -- applied especially to a vessel in the water.

That with a staff his feeble steps did steer .

Spenser.

Steer Steer intransitive verb 1. To direct a vessel in its course; to direct one's course. "No helmsman steers ." Tennyson.

2. To be directed and governed; to take a direction, or course; to obey the helm; as, the boat steers easily.

Where the wind
Veers oft, as oft [ a ship] so steers , and shifts her sail.

Milton.

3. To conduct one's self; to take or pursue a course of action.

Steer Steer noun [ Anglo-Saxon steór , stiór ; akin to Dutch stuur , German steuer , Icelandic st...ri . √186. See Steer , transitive verb ] [ Written also stere .] A rudder or helm. [ Obsolete] Chaucer.

Steer Steer noun [ Anglo-Saxon steóra . See Steer a rudder.] A helmsman, a pilot. [ Obsolete] Chaucer.

Steerable Steer"a·ble adjective Capable of being steered; dirigible.

Steerage Steer"age noun 1. The act or practice of steering, or directing; as, the steerage of a ship.

He left the city, and, in a most tempestuous season, forsook the helm and steerage of the common wealth.

Milton.

2. (Nautical) (a) The effect of the helm on a ship; the manner in which an individual ship is affected by the helm. (b) The hinder part of a vessel; the stern. [ R.] Swift. (c) Properly, the space in the after part of a vessel, under the cabin, but used generally to indicate any part of a vessel having the poorest accommodations and occupied by passengers paying the lowest rate of fare.

3. Direction; regulation; management; guidance.

He that hath the steerage of my course.

Shak.

4. That by which a course is directed. [ R.]

Here he hung on high,
The steerage of his wings.

Dryden.

Steerage passenger , a passenger who takes passage in the steerage of a vessel.

Steerageway Steer"age·way` noun (Nautical) A rate of motion through the water sufficient to render a vessel governable by the helm.

Steerer Steer"er noun One who steers; as, a boat steerer .

Steering Steer"ing adjective & noun from Steer , v.

Steering wheel (Nautical) , the wheel by means of which the rudder of a vessel is turned and the vessel is steered.

Steerless Steer"less adjective Having no rudder. [ Obsolete] Chaucer.

Steerling Steer"ling noun A young or small steer.

Steersman Steers"man (stērz"m a n) noun ; plural Steersmen (-m e n). [ Steer a rudder + man : confer Anglo-Saxon steórmann .] One who steers; the helmsman of a vessel. Milton.

Steersmate Steers"mate (-māt`) noun [ Steer a rudder + mate a companion.] One who steers; steersman. [ Obsolete] Milton.

Steeve Steeve (stēv) intransitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Steeved ; present participle & verbal noun Steeving .] [ Confer OD. steve staff, English stem , noun ] (Shipbuilding) To project upward, or make an angle with the horizon or with the line of a vessel's keel; -- said of the bowsprit, etc.

Steeve Steeve transitive verb 1. (Shipbuilding) To elevate or fix at an angle with the horizon; -- said of the bowsprit, etc.

2. To stow, as bales in a vessel's hold, by means of a steeve. See Steeve , noun (b) .

Steeve Steeve noun (Nautical) (a) The angle which a bowsprit makes with the horizon, or with the line of the vessel's keel; -- called also steeving . (b) A spar, with a block at one end, used in stowing cotton bales, and similar kinds of cargo which need to be packed tightly.

Steeving Steev"ing noun 1. The act or practice of one who steeves.

2. (Nautical) See Steeve , noun (a) .

Steg Steg (stĕg) noun [ Icelandic steggr the male of several animals. Confer Stag .] (Zoology) A gander. [ Written also stag .] [ Prov. Eng.] Halliwell.

Steganographist Steg`a·nog"ra·phist noun One skilled in steganography; a cryptographer.

Steganography Steg`a·nog"ra·phy noun [ Greek ... covered (fr. ... to cover closely) + -graphy .] The art of writing in cipher, or in characters which are not intelligible except to persons who have the key; cryptography.

Steganophthalmata Steg`a·noph·thal"ma·ta noun plural [ New Latin , from Greek ... covered + ... the eye.] (Zoology) The Discophora, or Phanerocarpæ. Called also Steganophthalmia .

Steganopod Ste·gan"o·pod noun (Zoology) One of the Steganopodes.

Steganopodes Steg`a·nop"o·des noun plural [ New Latin , from Greek ..., ..., web-footed; ... covered + ... foot.] (Zoology) A division of swimming birds in which all four toes are united by a broad web. It includes the pelicans, cormorants, gannets, and others.

Steganopodous Steg`a·nop"o·dous adjective (Zoology) Having all four toes webbed together.

Stegnosis Steg·no"sis noun [ New Latin , from Greek .... See Stegnotic .] (Medicine) Constipation; also, constriction of the vessels or ducts.

Stegnotic Steg·no"tic adjective [ Greek ..., from ... to cover, to make costive, from ..., ..., covered, closed.] (Medicine) Tending to render costive, or to diminish excretions or discharges generally. -- noun A stegnotic medicine; an astringent.

Stegocephala Steg`o·ceph"a·la (stĕg`o*s&ecf;f"ȧ*lȧ) noun plural [ New Latin , from Greek ste`gh roof + kefalh` head.] (Paleon.) An extinct order of amphibians found fossil in the Mesozoic rocks; called also Stegocephali , and Labyrinthodonta .

» Their teeth, in transverse sections, usually show a labyrinthiform arrangement of the cement and dentine. The under side of the body was covered with bony plates. Some of the Stegocephala were of very large size, and the form of the body varied from short, stout forms to others that were as slender as serpents.

Stegosauria Steg`o·sau"ri·a (-sa"rĭ*ȧ) noun plural [ New Latin See Stegosaurus .] (Paleon.) An extinct order of herbivorous dinosaurs, including the genera Stegosaurus , Omosaurus , and their allies.

Stegosaurus Steg`o·sau"rus (-rŭs) noun [ New Latin , from Greek ste`gh roof + say^ros a lizard.] (Paleon.) A genus of large Jurassic dinosaurs remarkable for a powerful dermal armature of plates and spines.

Steik Steik transitive verb See Steek . [ Scot.]

Stein Stein noun & v. See Steen .

Steinbock Stein"bock` noun [ German stein stone + bock buck, Dutch bok . Confer Steenbok .] (Zoology) (a) The European ibex. (b) A small South African antelope ( Nanotragus tragulus ) which frequents dry, rocky districts; -- called also steenbok . [ Written also steinboc , and steinbok ; also called stonebock , and stonebuck .]

Steingale Stein"gale noun The stannel. [ Prov. Eng.]

Steining Stein"ing noun See Steening .

Steinkirk Stein"kirk` noun Same as Steenkirk .

Steinkle Stein"kle noun The wheater. [ Prov. Eng.]

Stela Ste"la noun ; plural Stelæ . [ Latin , from Greek ... a post, an upright stone.] (Gr. Antiq.) A small column or pillar, used as a monument, milestone, etc.

Stele Ste"le (stē"lē) noun [ New Latin ] Same as Stela .

One of these steles , containing the Greek version of the ordinance, has recently been discovered.

I. Taylor (The Alphabet).

Stele Stele (stēl) noun [ See Stale a handle.] A stale, or handle; a stalk. [ Obsolete] Chaucer. Holland.

Stelene Ste"lene adjective [ See Stela .] Resembling, or used as, a stela; columnar. [ R.]

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