Merriam-Webster's Collegiate® Dictionary, 11th Edition
STEEP
I. adjective see: stoop Date: before 12th century lofty , high , making a large angle with the plane of the horizon,
3. mounting or falling precipitously , being or characterized by a rapid and intensive decline or increase, extremely or excessively high , steepish adjective steeply adverb steepness noun Synonyms: see: steep
II. noun
Date: 1555
a precipitous place,
III. verb
Etymology: Middle English stepen
Date: 14th century
transitive verb to soak in a liquid at a temperature under the boiling point (as for softening, bleaching, or extracting an essence), to cover with or plunge into a liquid (as in bathing, rinsing, or soaking), to saturate with or subject thoroughly to (some strong or pervading influence) , intransitive verb to undergo the process of soaking in a liquid, see: soak steeper noun
IV. noun
Date: 15th century
the state or process of being steeped, a bath or solution in which something is steeped