Emily Dickinson Lexicon

STEEP'ED, pp.

Soaked; macerated; imbued.

STEEP'ER, n.

A vessel, vat or cistern in which things are steeped. – Edwards' W. Indies.

STEEP'ING, ppr.

Soaking; macerating.

STEE'PLE, n. [Sax. stepel, stypel.]

A turret of a church, ending in a point; a spire. It differs from a tower, which usually ends in a square form, though; the name is sometimes given to a tower. The bell of a church is usually hung in the steeple. They, far from steeples and their sacred sound. – Dryden.

STEE'PLED, a.

Furnished with a steeple; adorned with steeples or towers. – Fairfax.

STEE'PLE-HOUSE, n.

A church. [Not in use.]

STEE'P-LY, adv.

With steepness; with precipitous declivity.

STEEP'NESS, n.

The state of being steep; precipitous declivity; as, the steepness of a hill, a bank or a roof. – Bacon.

STEEP'Y, a.

Having a steep or precipitous declivity; as, steepy crags; a poetical word. No more, my goats, shall I behold you climb / The steepy cliffs. – Dryden.

STEER, n.¹ [Sax. steor, styre; D. stier.]

A young male of the ox kind or common ox. It is rendered in Dutch, a bull; but in the United States, this name is generally given to a castrated taurine male from two to four years old. With solemn pomp then sacrific'd a steer. – Dryden.

STEER, n.²

A rudder or helm. [Not in use.]

STEER, v.i.

1. To direct and govern a ship or other vessel in its course. Formerly seamen steered by the stars; they now steer by the compass. A ship … where the wind / Veers oft, as oft so steers and shifts her sail. – Milton.
2. To be directed and governed; as, a ship steers with ease.
3. To conduct one's self; to take or pursue a course or way.

STEER, v.t. [Sax. steoran, to steer, to correct or chide, to discipline; G. steuern, to hinder, restrain, repress, to curb, to steer, to pilot, to aid, help, support. The verb is connected with or derived from steuer, a rudder, a helm, aid, help, subsidy, impost, tax, contribution. D. stieren, to steer, to send, and stuur, a helm; stuuren, to steer, to send; Dan, styrer, to govern, direct, manage, steer, restrain, moderate, curb, stem, hinder; styre, a helm, rudder or tiller; styr, moderation, a tax or assessment; Sw. styra, to steer, to restrain; styre, a rudder or helm; Arm. stur, id.; Ir. stiuram. We see the radical sense is to strain, variously applied, and this coincides with the root of starch and stark; stiffness being from stretching.]

1. To direct; to govern; particularly, to direct and govern the course of a ship by the movements of the helm. Hence,
2. To direct; to guide; to show the way or course to. That with a staff his feeble steps did steer. – Spenser.

STEER'AGE, n.

1. The act or practice of directing and governing in a course; as, the steerage of a ship. – Addison. [In this sense I believe the word is now little used.]
2. In seamen's language, the effort of a helm, or its effect on the ship; or, the peculiar manner in which an individual ship is affected by the helm. – Mar. Dict.
3. In a ship, an apartment forward of the great cabin, from which it is separated by a bulk-head or partition, or a apartment in the fore part of a ship for passengers. In ships of war it serves as a hall or antechamber to the great cabin. – Mar. Dict.
4. The part of a ship where the tiller traverses. – Encyc.
5. Direction; regulation. He that hath the sleerage of my course. [Little used.] – Shak.
6. Regulation or management. You raise the honor of the peerage, / Proud to attend you at the steerage. – Swift.
7. That by which a course is directed. Here he hung on high, / The steerage of his wings. – Dryden. [Steerage, in the general sense of direction or management, is in popular use, but by no means an elegant word. It is said, a young man when he sets out in life, makes bad steerage; but no good writer would introduce the word into elegant writing.]

STEER'AGE-WAY, n.

In seamen's language, that degree of progressive movement of a ship, which renders her governable by the helm.

STEER'ED, pp.

Directed and governed in a course; guided; conducted.

STEER'ER, n.

One that steers; a pilot. [Little used.]

STEER'ING, n.

The act or art of directing and governing a ship or other vessel in her course; the act of guiding or managing.

STEER'ING, ppr.

Directing and governing in a course, as a ship; guiding; conducting.

STEER'ING-WHEEL, n.

The wheel by which the rudder of a ship is turned and the ship is steered.

STEER'LESS, a.

Having no steer or rudder. [Not in use.] – Gower.

STEERS-MAN, n. [steer and man.]

One that steers; the helmsman of a ship. – Mar. Dict.

STEERS-MATE, n. [steer and mate.]

One who steers, a pilot. [Not in use.] – Millan.

STEEV'ING, n.

In seamen's language, the angle of elevation which a ship's bowsprit makes with the horizon. – Mar. Dict.

STEG, n. [Ice. stegge.]

A gander. [Local.]