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A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)

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First published 2001 (DOST Vol. IX).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Step(e, Steip, v. Also: steipe, stip(e. [ME and e.m.E. stepe(n (1390-1), stipe (c1412), stiep (1533), steep (1577), steape (1582), OE *stíepan, *stépan, cf. Sw. stöpa, Da. støbe, Norw. støypa (in sense 1 a), ultim. related to Stoup n.]

1. To soak in liquid, specif. a. Of barley, in brewing. b. Of flax in making linen yarn. c. Of leather. d. Of herbs, etc., to produce a liquor used as medicine. e. In other uses, also absol.a. 14.. Acts I 337/2.
Item that thai steip nocht ther beir eneuch 1589 Edinb. Test. XXI 104.
In the cobill steipand ellevin bollis beir 1669 Melrose Reg. Rec. II 236.
He took 2 loads of it [sc. bere] to the water to steip(b) c1670 Haigs of Bemersyde 484.
Item, oats stiped amongest the 4 liquors, not poured of … some beire stiped as long in the same liquorb. a1500 Henr. Fab. 1827.
The carll … Rippillit the bollis and in beitis set, It steipit in the burne, and dryit syne 1658 Glasgow B. Rec. II 401.
Persones … wha hes ony lint growing … steipes ther lint in the water holles therc. 1508 (c1580) Edinb. B. Rec. I 118.
That na furrouris … steip thair skynis in forehous nor hing thame in forestaris 1668 Inverness Rec. II 234.
Ordayned that none persun to weit or steip any kynd of leather in the said riwer in tyme comeing abow the said way wnder the kirkd. a1500 Henr. Practysis 48.
Reid nettill seid in strang wesche to steip, For to bath ȝour ba cod 1568 Skeyne Descr. Pest 21.
Quhyte odoratiue subtile vyne quhairin ane clene raphort cuttit smal had bene steipit aucht dayis 1568 Skeyne Descr. Pest 21.
Vinagir quhairin rew hes bene steipit 1597 Crim. Trials II 29.
To … steip it amang quhyte wyne, and gif it to drink, for the fawing-evill 15… Nat. Lib. MS 22. 2. 11.
This resait for children of tuo ȝeris of aige for a pain in the belye efter it is steiped 24 houris … giue the child a small quantitie of the sam to drink 1613 Crim. Trials III 263.
Tuik the saidis herbis, and steipit thame amangis aill ane lang space 1662 Crim. Trials III 609.
We maid an bagg of the gallis … of toadis, … pairingis of the naillis of fingeris [etc.] … We steipit this all together all night among watter 1650 Brechin Presb. 51.
Ther was a drink steiped in Robert Metland's hous … whereof … Isoble drank every morning … next shee drank a drink steiped with the roote of the read nettle 1684 Symson Descr. Galloway 78.
Osmunda regalis. They make much use of it for the consolidating of broken bones or strains … by steeping the root in water … wherewith they wash the place affectede. 1513 Doug. vi vi 75.
A sop, stepyt [Sm. stepit] intil hunny 1566-70 Buch. Comm. on Virgil Georgics i 193.
Semina vidi equidem multos medicare serentis, qui fecerunt imbuere semina (to steip quhyle sprincklit our with muck)absol. 1595 Duncan App. Etym.
Macero, to mak leane; to steip

2. a. ? To inundate, soak (a person). b. To saturate (a handkerchief).a. a1570-86 Maitl. F. 424/183.
And in sic stormes as may gar strangaris steipe [Maitl. Q. steip; rh. sleip, scheipe, keip] Sustenis ȝoure selffb. 1633 Johnston Diary I 185.
Evin so that with tears my naipkin was lyk on steaped in walter so that I was forced to chainge it

3. comb. a. Of liquid: Produced by or used for soaking (barley). b. Of a vessel, etc.: For use in soaking. See also Stepestane n.a. 1680 Fawside Coal Compt 67.
For steipe aille to the malt 11 s. — 1597 Monimail Reg. Ct. 4 Nov.
Thair salbe na lyme hollis bark hollis nor steip watter havand … the commone burne … heirefter quhairof thai tuik thair (? watter) 1605 Glasgow Chart. I dcxvii.
Thes quha prophanis the Saboth day in … dichting … careing of steip water ingilling of killis [etc.]b. 1550 Peebles B. Rec. I 204.
Robert Hesilhop, kyll and stepfat, iij s. of annuell in the yeir 1639 Kirkcudbr. B. Rec. II 604.
He may convenientlie big ane steipfat of stain and lyne besyd the said woll 1652 Kirkcudbr. B. Rec. II 921.
Johne Ewart bailȝe infeft William Edzer in the steip fatt conforme to ane act maid thervpone of before 1658 Kirkcudbr. B. Rec. II 1070.
Nyne schilling sterling for the rent of his steepfatt(b) 1688 Kirkcudbr. Sheriff Ct. Deeds II 334 (28 March).
The litele kill dame with the stipfats — 1673 Glasgow Chart. II App. 362.
Lymnhollis, barkhollis, steiphollis and a bark loft — 1581 Glasgow Prot. VIII 29.
Steip troch 1598 Glasgow B. Rec. I 189.
For the annuell of his steip trocht and wolt biggit be him wpon the commountie 1601 Glasgow B. Rec. I 222.
The supplicatioune of Richert Woddrope craveand … licence to ane steip troche, inrespect the same is preiudiciall to the spowtis, the burne and weill of the towne thai refuisit to grant him libertie to ony steip troche and watter discending within thair boundis 1668 Corshill Baron Ct. 78.
Williame Glen … put the said beir in his steip troch — 1533–4 Selkirk B. Ct. (ed.) 136.
Ane steip tub 1540 Maxwell Mem. 408.
The ladynner and sellar. … ane berrell … ane steip twb