Defn: Steepness. Howell.
STEEPISH
Steep"ish, a.
Defn: Somewhat steep. Carlyle.
STEEPLE
Stee"ple, n. Etym: [OE. stepel, AS. stepel, st; akin to E. steep, a.]
(Arch.)
Defn: A spire; also, the tower and spire taken together; the whole of a structure if the roof is of spire form. See Spire. "A weathercock on a steeple." Shak. Rood steeple. See Rood tower, under Rood. — Steeple bush (Bot.), a low shrub (Spiræa tomentosa) having dense panicles of minute rose-colored flowers; hardhack. — Steeple chase, a race across country between a number of horsemen, to see which can first reach some distant object, as a church steeple; hence, a race over a prescribed course obstructed by such obstacles as one meets in riding across country, as hedges, walls, etc. — Steeple chaser, one who rides in a steeple chase; also, a horse trained to run in a steeple chase. — Steeple engine, a vertical back-acting steam engine having the cylinder beneath the crosshead. — Steeple house, a church. [Obs.] Jer. Taylor.
STEEPLECHASING
Stee"ple*chas`ing, n.
Defn: The act of riding steeple chases.
STEEPLE-CROWNED
Stee"ple-crowned`, a.
1. Bearing a steeple; as, a steeple-crowned building.
2. Having a crown shaped like a steeple; as, a steeple-crowned hat; also, wearing a hat with such a crown. This grave, beared, sable-cloaked, and steeple-crowned progenitor. Hawthorne.