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Steep vs Prohibitive - What's the difference?

steep | prohibitive |

As adjectives the difference between steep and prohibitive

is that steep is of a near-vertical gradient; of a slope, surface, curve, etc that proceeds upward at an angle near vertical while prohibitive is tending to prohibit, preclude, or disallow.

As nouns the difference between steep and prohibitive

is that steep is a liquid used in a steeping process while prohibitive is (linguistics) negative imperative.

As a verb 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.

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

    prohibitive

    English

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Tending to prohibit, preclude, or disallow.
    • Some countries are more prohibitive than others when it comes to hot topics like euthanasia and cloning.
  • Costly to the extreme; beyond budget.
    • I'd like to visit Europe someday, but the cost is prohibitive right now.

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (linguistics) negative imperative