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Blunt vs Steep - What's the difference?

blunt | steep |

As adjectives the difference between blunt and steep

is that blunt is having a thick edge or point, as an instrument; not sharp while steep is of a near-vertical gradient; of a slope, surface, curve, etc. that proceeds upward at an angle near vertical.

As nouns the difference between blunt and steep

is that blunt is a fencer's practice foil with a soft tip while steep is a liquid used in a steeping process.

As verbs the difference between blunt and steep

is that blunt is to dull the edge or point of, by making it thicker; to make blunt while steep is to soak an item (or to be soaked) in liquid in order to gradually add or remove components to or from the item.

blunt

English

Adjective

(er)
  • Having a thick edge or point, as an instrument; not sharp.
  • * (William Shakespeare) (c.1564–1616)
  • The murderous knife was dull and blunt .
  • *{{quote-book, year=1944, author=(w)
  • , title= The Three Corpse Trick, section=chapter 5 , passage=The dinghy was trailing astern at the end of its painter, and Merrion looked at it as he passed. He saw that it was a battered-looking affair of the prahm type, with a blunt snout, and like the parent ship, had recently been painted a vivid green.}}
  • * {{quote-book, year=1963, author=(Margery Allingham), title=(The China Governess)
  • , chapter=17 citation , passage=The face which emerged was not reassuring. It was blunt and grey, the nose springing thick and flat from high on the frontal bone of the forehead, whilst his eyes were narrow slits of dark in a tight bandage of tissue. […].}}
  • Dull in understanding; slow of discernment; opposed to acute.
  • * (William Shakespeare) (c.1564–1616)
  • His wits are not so blunt .
  • Abrupt in address; plain; unceremonious; wanting the forms of civility; rough in manners or speech.
  • the blunt admission that he had never liked my company
  • * (William Shakespeare) (c.1564–1616)
  • a plain, blunt man
  • Hard to impress or penetrate.
  • * (Alexander Pope) (1688-1744)
  • I find my heart hardened and blunt to new impressions.
  • Slow or deficient in feeling: insensitive.
  • Synonyms

    * (having a thick edge or point) dull, pointless, coarse * (dull in understanding) stupid, obtuse * (abrupt in address) curt, short, rude, brusque, impolite, uncivil, harsh

    Derived terms

    * blunt instrument * bluntly * bluntness

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A fencer's practice foil with a soft tip.
  • A short needle with a strong point.
  • (smoking) A marijuana cigar.
  • * 2005': to make his point, lead rapper B-Real fired up a '''blunt in front of the cameras and several hundred thousand people and announced, “I'm taking a hit for every one of y'all!” — Martin Torgoff, ''Can't Find My Way Home (Simon & Schuster 2005, p. 461)
  • (UK, slang, archaic, uncountable) money
  • * Charles Dickens, The Pickwick Papers
  • Down he goes to the Commons, to see the lawyer and draw the blunt
  • A playboating move resembling a cartwheel performed on a wave.
  • Verb

    (en verb)
  • To dull the edge or point of, by making it thicker; to make blunt.
  • (figuratively) To repress or weaken, as any appetite, desire, or power of the mind; to impair the force, keenness, or susceptibility, of; as, to blunt the feelings.
  • * {{quote-news, year=2011
  • , date=January 12 , author=Saj Chowdhury , title=Liverpool 2 - 1 Liverpool , work=BBC citation , page= , passage=That settled the Merseysiders for a short while but it did not blunt the home side's spirit. }}

    See also

    * bluntly * dull ----

    steep

    English

    Etymology 1

    (etyl) . The sense of “sharp slope” is attested circa 1200; the sense “expensive” is attested US 1856.

    Adjective

    (er)
  • Of a near-vertical gradient; of a slope, surface, curve, etc. that proceeds upward at an angle near vertical.
  • a steep''' hill or mountain; a '''steep''' roof; a '''steep''' ascent; a '''steep barometric gradient
  • (informal) expensive
  • Twenty quid for a shave? That's a bit steep .
  • (obsolete) Difficult to access; not easy reached; lofty; elevated; high.
  • (Chapman)
  • (of the rake of a ship's mast, or a car's windshield) resulting in a mast or windshield angle that strongly diverges from the perpendicular
  • The steep rake of the windshield enhances the fast lines of the exterior. [http://www.utsandiego.com/uniontrib/20070303/news_lz1dd3maynard.html]

    Synonyms

    * brant

    Etymology 2

    From (etyl) stepen, from (etyl) . More at (l).

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • (ambitransitive) To soak an item (or to be soaked) in liquid in order to gradually add or remove components to or from the item
  • They steep skins in a tanning solution to create leather.
    The tea is steeping .
  • * Wordsworth
  • In refreshing dew to steep / The little, trembling flowers.
  • To imbue with something.
  • * Earle
  • The learned of the nation were steeped in Latin.
    a town steeped in history
    Derived terms
    * (l)

    Noun

  • A liquid used in a steeping process
  • Corn steep has many industrial uses.
  • A rennet bag.
  • References