What's the difference between
and
Enter two words to compare and contrast their definitions, origins, and synonyms to better understand how those words are related.

Stair vs Steep - What's the difference?

stair | steep |

As nouns the difference between stair and steep

is that stair is a single step in a staircase 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

(ambitransitive) to soak an item (or to be soaked) in liquid in order to gradually add or remove components to or from the item.

stair

English

Noun

(en noun)
  • A single step in a staircase.
  • A series of steps, a staircase.
  • *{{quote-book, year=1899, author=(Hughes Mearns)
    • , title= , passage=Yesterday, upon the stair  / I met a man who wasn’t there / He wasn’t there again today / I wish, I wish he’d go away …}}

    Usage notes

    * Stairs'' and ''stair are used to refer to a single staircase, mostly interchangeably in the UK.

    Derived terms

    * above-stairs * upstairs * downstairs * stair-stepping * staircase * stairs * stairway * stairwell

    See also

    * ladder * landing

    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