# steeper

Pronunciation: US say "STEEP-er" /ˈstiːpɚ/; UK say "STEE-puh" /ˈstiːpə/

## Adjective

1. Comparative of steep. — comparative form of steep: more steep
   - Simple: Comparative of steep. Use it to say one slope or price is more steep than another.
   - _The northern face is steeper than the gentle southern slope._
   - _The road grew steeper with every mile we climbed._

## Noun

2. A vessel, vat, or cistern used for soaking things in liquid.
   - Simple: A container used for soaking things in water or another liquid.
   - _The maltster drained the steeper before spreading the wet barley to germinate._
   - _The brewery installed two new steepers along the back wall last year._
3. A downpour; a heavy, soaking rain. *(dialectal, England, Scotland)*
   - Simple: A heavy fall of rain that soaks everything quickly.
   - _The picnic ended abruptly when a steeper swept across the field._
   - _After two dry weeks, the farmers welcomed the evening steeper._
4. The partly cut stem of a shrub or small tree in a hedgerow, bent down and laid during the process of laying a hedge.
   - Simple: A shrub or small tree stem in a hedge, cut partly through so it can be bent down and laid flat.
   - _The hedger cut each steeper near the base and bent it sideways into the line._
   - _A well-laid hedge keeps every steeper alive and growing._

## Origin

Formed from "steep" with the suffix "-er".

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/steeper (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).