Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “steepen” come from?

steepen (English) comes from English steep, from Middle English steep, from Old English stēap, from Proto-West Germanic *staup.

steepen (English): To make steeper; To become steeper

Definitions

  1. To make steeper; To become steeper

Ancestry of “steepen”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishsteepOf a near-vertical gradient; of a slope, surface,...
2Middle Englishsteep—
3Old Englishstēapa stoup, beaker, drinking vessel, cup, flagon;...
4Proto-West Germanic*staup—
Every word from Proto-West Germanic *staup →