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Saturate vs Steep - What's the difference?

saturate | steep | Related terms |

As verbs the difference between saturate and steep

is that saturate is to cause to become completely penetrated, impregnated, or soaked (especially with a liquid) 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.

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 noun steep is

a liquid used in a steeping process.

saturate

English

Verb

(saturat)
  • To cause to become completely penetrated, impregnated, or soaked (especially with a liquid).
  • * 1815 , in the Annals of Philosophy , volume 6, page 332:
    • Suppose, on the contrary, that a piece of charcoal saturated with hydrogen gas is put into a receiver filled with carbonic acid gas,
  • * Macaulay
    • Innumerable flocks and herbs covered that vast expanse of emerald meadow saturated with the moisture of the Atlantic.
    Rain saturated their clothes.
    After walking home in the driving rain, his clothes were saturated .
  • To satisfy the affinity of; to cause a substance to become inert by chemical combination with all that it can hold.
    • One can saturate phosphorus with chlorine.

    Related terms

    * sate * satis * satisfy

    External links

    * * *

    Anagrams

    * ----

    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