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Mountain vs Steep - What's the difference?

mountain | steep |

As nouns the difference between mountain and steep

is that mountain is a large mass of earth and rock, rising above the common level of the earth or adjacent land, usually given by geographers as above 1000 feet in height (or 304.8 metres), though such masses may still be described as hills in comparison with larger mountains while steep is a liquid used in a steeping process.

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.

mountain

English

Noun

(en noun)
  • A large mass of earth and rock, rising above the common level of the earth or adjacent land, usually given by geographers as above 1000 feet in height (or 304.8 metres), though such masses may still be described as hills in comparison with larger mountains.
    • Everest is the highest mountain in the world.
    We spent the weekend hiking in the mountains .
  • A large amount.
    • There's still a mountain of work to do.
  • (figuratively) A difficult task or challenge.
  • * {{quote-news
    • , year=2011 , date=October 1 , author=Phil Dawkes , title=Sunderland 2 - 2 West Brom , work=BBC Sport citation , page= , passage=Five minutes into the game the Black Cats were facing a mountain , partly because of West Brom's newly-found ruthlessness in front of goal but also as a result of the home side's defensive generosity.}}

    Derived terms

    * Chinese mountain cat * faith will move mountains * folded mountain * have a mountain to climb * if the mountain won't come to Muhammad * make a mountain out of a molehill * mountain ash * mountain bearberry * mountain bike * mountain boarding * mountain building * mountain buzzard * mountain cat * mountain chain * mountain climbing * mountain cranberry * mountain dew * mountain fever * mountain goat * mountain gorilla * mountain hare * mountain laurel * mountain lion * mountain range * mountain reindeer * mountain sheep * mountain sickness * mountain top removal mining * mountain unit * mountain zebra * mountaineer * mountaineering * mountainless * mountainous * mountainside * mountaintop * snow on the mountain * Stoliczka's mountain vole * table mountain * White Cloud Mountain minnow

    Related terms

    * mount

    See also

    *

    External links

    * (wikipedia "mountain") *

    References

    * *

    Anagrams

    * 1000 English basic words

    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