steep (adj.)

"precipitous, sheer, having a sharp slope," of cliffs, mountains, etc., Middle English stēpe, from Old English steap "high, lofty" (senses now obsolete), also "deep; prominent, projecting," from Proto-Germanic *staupa- (source also of Old Frisian stap "high, lofty," Middle High German *stouf).

This is held to be from PIE *steup-, an extended form of the root *(s)teu- (1) "to push, stick, knock, beat," with derivations referring to projecting objects (source also of Greek typtein "to strike," typos "a blow, mold, die;" Sanskrit tup- "harm," tundate "pushes, stabs;" Gothic stautan "push;" Old Norse stuttr "short"). But Boutkan is dubious of the wider grouping.

The sense of "precipitous" probably was in Old English. In Middle English also of strong men, loud voices, large bright eyes, and old age. The slang sense of "at a high price" is a U.S. coinage attested by 1856. Related: Steeply. The noun meaning "a steep place, a declivity" is from 1550s.

"to soak (something) in a liquid," early 14c., stēpen, a word of uncertain origin and "difficult etymology" [OED]; originally in reference to barley or malt. It is probably cognate with Old Norse steypa "to pour out, throw," from Proto-Germanic *staupijanan. Perhaps there was an unrecorded Old English verb (compare Old English steap, steop "stoup, drinking vessel").

The intransitive sense of "soak, be bathed" is from late 14c. Figuratively, "imbue with a specified influence," by c. 1600. Related: Steeped; steeping. As a noun, "process of steeping," mid-15c.