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Cliff vs Steep - What's the difference?

cliff | steep |

As nouns the difference between cliff and steep

is that cliff is a vertical (or nearly vertical) rock face while steep is a liquid used in a steeping process.

As a proper noun Cliff

is a diminutive of the male given name Clifford.

As an adjective steep is

of a near-vertical gradient; of a slope, surface, curve, etc. that proceeds upward at an angle near vertical.

As a verb 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.

cliff

English

(wikipedia cliff)

Etymology 1

(etyl) clif .

Noun

(en noun)
  • A vertical (or nearly vertical) rock face.
    • Synonyms
    * precipice
    Derived terms
    * cliff swallow * cliff-face * cliffed * cliffhanger * cliffing * cliffy

    Etymology 2

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (music)
    • (Webster 1913)

    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