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Steep vs Dampen - What's the difference?

steep | dampen | Related terms |

Steep is a related term of dampen.


As verbs the difference between steep and dampen

is that steep is (ambitransitive) to soak an item (or to be soaked) in liquid in order to gradually add or remove components to or from the item while dampen is to smoke, to give off smoke.

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.

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

    dampen

    English

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To make damp or moist; to make slightly wet.
  • To depress; to check; to make dull; to lessen.
  • * The Century
  • In a way that considerably dampened our enthusiasm.
  • * 2007 October 16, Jane E. Brody, “Despite Strides, Listeria Needs Vigilance”, ,
  • Pregnant women are 20 times as likely as other healthy young women to contract listeriosis, probably because in pregnancy the immune system is dampened to prevent rejection of the fetus.
  • To become damp; to deaden.
  • Anagrams

    * * English ergative verbs ----