steep

steeple............................

O.E. stepel (Mercian), stiepel (W.Saxon) "high tower" (related to steap "high, lofty"),

from P.Gmc. *staupilaz (see steep (adj.)).

Steeplechase first recorded 1793 (earlier steeplehunt, 1772), originally a race with a visible church steeple as a goal.

Steeplejack "one who climbs steeples, chimneys, etc. to make repairs" is attested from 1881.


steep...........................

"having a sharp slope," O.E. steap "high, lofty," from P.Gmc. *staupaz (cf. O.Fris. stap, M.H.G. *stouf),

from PIE *steup- "to push, stick, knock, beat," with derivations referring to projecting objects (cf. Gk. typtein "to strike," typos "a blow, mold, die;" Skt. tup- "harm," tundate "pushes, stabs;" Goth. stautan "push;" O.N. stuttr "short").

The sense of "precipitous" is from c.1200.

The slang sense "at a high price" is a U.S. coinage first attested 1856.