STEER, st[=e]r, _n._ a young ox, esp. a castrated one from two to four years old.--_n._ STEER'LING, a little or young steer. [A.S. _steor_; Ger.
_stier_.]
STEER, st[=e]r, _v.t._ to direct with the helm: to guide: to govern.--_v.i._ to direct a ship in its course: to be directed: to move.--_ns._ STEER'AGE, act or practice of steering: the effect of a rudder on the ship: an apartment in the fore-part of a ship for passengers paying a lower rate of fare; STEER'AGE-WAY, sufficient movement of a vessel to enable it to be controlled by the helm; STEER'ER, STEERS'MAN, a man who steers a ship; STEER'ING; STEER'ING-WHEEL, the wheel by which the rudder of a ship is turned. [A.S. _steoran_, _stran_, to steer; Ger. _steuern_.]
STEER, st[=e]r, _n._ a Scotch form of _stir_.
STEEVE, st[=e]v, _n._ a spar with a block at the end for packing close certain kinds of cargo: the angle which the bowsprit of a ship makes with the horizon or the line of her keel.--Also STEEV'ING.
STEEVE, st[=e]v, _adj._ (_Scot._) stiff, firm.--_adv._ STEEVE'LY.
STEEVE, st[=e]v, _v.t._ to stuff, pack close.--_n._ STEEV'ING.
STEGANOGRAPHY, steg-an-og'ra-fi, _n._ the art of writing in cipher or secret characters.--_n._ STEGANOG'RAPHIST, one who writes in cipher. [Gr.
_steganos_, concealed--_stegein_, to cover, _graphein_, to write.]
STEGANOPUS, ste-gan'[=o]-pus, _n._ a genus of phalaropes with long slender bill.--_adjs._ STEG'ANOPOD, STEGANOP'ODOUS, having all four toes webbed, totipalmate.--_n.pl._ STEGANOP'ODES, an order of swimming birds, with all four toes webbed and a gular pouch--cormorants, frigate-birds, pelicans, gannets. [Gr. _steganos_, covered, _pous_, _podos_, foot.]
STEGNOSIS, steg-n[=o]'sis, _n._ constriction of the pores and vessels: constipation.--_adj._ STEGNOT'IC.
STEGOCEPHALOUS, steg-[=o]-sef'a-lus, _adj._ with the head mailed, loricate, cataphract. [Gr. _stegein_, to cover, _kephal[=e]_, the head.]
STEGOGNATHOUS, ste-gog'n[=a]-thus, _adj._ having a jaw composed of imbricated plates. [Gr. _stegein_, to cover, _gnathos_, the jaw.]
STEGOPTEROUS, ste-gop'te-rus, _adj._ roof-winged, keeping the wings deflexed when at rest. [Gr. _stegein_, to cover, _pteron_, a wing.]
STEGOSAURIAN, steg-[=o]-saw'ri-an, _adj._ pertaining to the STEGOSAU'RIA, an order or suborder of dinosaurs, represented by the families _Stegosauridae_ and _Scelidosauridae_.--_n._ STEGOSAU'RUS, the typical genus of _Stegosauridae_, with enormous bucklers and spines. [Gr. _stegein_, to cover, _sauros_, a lizard.]
STEINBERGER, st[=i]n-ber'g[.e]r, _n._ an esteemed Rhenish white wine, produced near Wiesbaden.
STEINBOCK, STEENBOK, st[=e]n'bok, _n._ the name given in German Switzerland to the ibex of the Alps. [Ger. _stein_, stone, rock, _bock_, _buck_, he-goat.]
STELE, st[=e]'l[=e], _n._ an upright stone slab or tablet, either sepulchral or on which laws, decrees, &c. are inscribed--also ST[=E]'LA.--_adj._ ST[=E]'LENE.--_n._ STELOG'RAPHY, the practice of writing on steles. [L.,--Gr. _st[=e]l[=e]_--_histanai_, to set, stand.]
STELECHITE, stel'e-k[=i]t, _n._ a fine variety of storax.
STELL, stel, _v.t._ (_Shak._) to place, set.
[Illustration]
STELLAR, stel'ar, STELLARY, stel'ar-i, _adj._ relating to the stars: starry.--_n._ STELL[=A]'RIA, a genus of tufted plants of the pink family--the chickweeds or starworts.--_adjs._ STELL'[=A]TE, -D, like a star: radiated; STELLED (_Milt._), starry: (_Shak._) set or fixed; STELLIF'EROUS, thickly abounding with stars; STELL'IFORM, star-shaped; STELL'ULAR, formed like little stars; STELL'ULATE (_bot._), like a little star. [L. _stellaris_--_stella_, a star.]
STELLION, stel'yun, _n._ an agamoid lizard.
STELTHS, stelths, _n.pl._ (_Spens._) thefts.
STEM, stem, _n._ the ascending axis of a plant, which usually bears leaves and flowers, and maintains communication between the roots and the leaves: the little branch supporting the flower or fruit: a race or family: branch of a family.--_n._ STEM'-LEAF, a leaf growing from the stem.--_adj._ STEM'LESS (_bot._), wanting a stem, or having it so little developed as to seem to be wanting.--_ns._ STEM'LET, a little or young stem; STEM'MA, a pedigree or family tree: an ocellus.--_adjs._ STEM'MATOUS; STEMMED. [A.S.
_staefn_, _stefn_, _stemn_, from _staef_, a staff; Ger. _stab_.]
STEM, stem, _n._ the prow of a ship: a curved piece of timber at the prow to which the two sides of a ship are united.--_v.t._ to cut, as with the stem: to resist or make progress against: to stop, to check:--_pr.p._ stem'ming; _pa.t._ and _pa.p._ stemmed.--FROM STEM TO STERN, from one end of a vessel to the other: completely, throughout. [Same word as above.]
STEME, st[=e]m, _v.t._ an obsolete form of _steam_.
STEMPEL, stem'pel, _n._ a timber helping to support a platform.--Also STEM'PLE.
STEMSON, stem'sun, _n._ an arching piece of compass-timber behind the apron of a vessel, and supporting its scarfs.
STENCH, stensh, _n._ stink: a strong bad odour or smell.--_adj._ STENCH'Y.
[A.S. _stenc_; Ger. _stank_.]
STENCIL, sten'sil, _n._ a plate of metal, &c., with a pattern cut out, which is impressed upon a surface by drawing a brush with colour over it.--_v.t._ to print or paint by means of a stencil:--_pr.p._ sten'cilling; _pa.t._ and _pa.p._ sten'cilled.--_ns._ STEN'CILLER, one who does stencil-work; STEN'CILLING, a method of printing letters or designs, the pattern cut out on a thin plate, and brushed over so as to mark the surface below. [O. Fr. _estinceller_, _estincelle_--L. _scintilla_, a spark.]
STEND, stend, _v.i._ (_prov._) to rear, leap, walk with long strides.--_n._ a leap.
STENOCHROME, sten'[=o]-kr[=o]m, _n._ a print from a series of pigment-blocks arranged.--_n._ STEN'OCHROMY, the art of printing in several colours at one impression. [Gr. _stenos_, narrow, _chr[=o]ma_, colour.]
STENOGRAPHY, sten-og'ra-fi, _n._ art of writing very quickly by means of abbreviations: shorthand.--_n._ STEN'OGRAPH, a character used in stenography: a stenographic machine.--_v.i._ to represent by means of stenography.--_ns._ STENOG'RAPHER, STENOG'RAPHIST.--_adjs._ STENOGRAPH'IC, -AL. [Gr. _stenos_, narrow, _graphein_, to write.]
STENOPAIC, sten-[=o]-p[=a]'ik, _adj._ having a narrow opening. [Gr.
_stenos_, narrow, _op[=e]_, an opening.]
STENOSIS, sten-[=o]'sis, _n._ constriction of the pores and vessels: constipation.--_adjs._ STENOSED', contracted morbidly; STENOT'IC, abnormally contracted. [Gr., _stenos_, narrow.]
STENOTYPY, sten'o-t[=i]p-i, _n._ a system of shorthand representing by ordinary letters shortened signs of words or phrases.--_n._ STEN'OTYPE, such a symbolic letter or combination of letters.--_adj._ STENOTYP'IC.
STENT, stent, _v.t._ (_prov._) to stint, restrain.--_n._ extent, limit, amount of work required. [_Stint_.]
STENTOR, stent'or, _n._ a very loud-voiced herald in the Iliad, hence any person with a remarkably loud voice: the ursine howler.--_adj._ STENT[=O]'RIAN, very loud or powerful. [Gr.]
STEP, step, _n._ a pace: the distance crossed by the foot in walking or running: a small space: degree: one remove in ascending or descending a stair: round of a ladder: footprint: manner of walking: proceeding: action: the support on which the lower end of a mast, or staff, or a wheel rests: (_pl._) walk, direction taken in walking: a self-supporting ladder with flat steps.--_v.i._ to advance or retire by pacing: to walk: to walk slowly or gravely: to walk a short distance: to move mentally.--_v.t._ to set, as a foot: to fix, as a mast:--_pr.p._ step'ping; _pa.t._ and _pa.p._ stepped.--_ns._ STEP'PER, one who steps; STEP'PING-STONE, a stone for stepping on to raise the feet above the water or mud; STEP'STONE, a door-step.--STEP ASIDE, to walk to a little distance, as from company: to err; STEP IN, or INTO, to enter easily or unexpectedly; STEP OUT, to go out a little way: to increase the length of the step and so the speed; STEP SHORT, to shorten the length of one's step. [A.S. _staepe_--_stapan_, to go; Dut. _stap_, Ger. _stapfe_.]
STEP-CHILD, step'-ch[=i]ld, _n._ one who stands in the relation of a child through the marriage of a parent--also STEP'-BAIRN. So STEP'-BROTH'ER; STEP'-DAUGH'TER; STEP'-FA'THER; STEP'-MOTH'ER, or -DAME; STEP'-SIS'TER; STEP'-SON.--_n._ STEP'-COUN'TRY, an adopted country. [A.S. _steop-_, as in _steop-modor_; Ger. _stieb-_; orig. an _adj._ sig. _bereft_.]
STEPHANE, stef'a-n[=e], _n._ an ancient Greek head-dress like a coronet.
[Gr.,--_stephein_, to crown.]
STEPHANITE, stef'a-n[=i]t, _n._ a metallic iron-black silver sulph-antimonite.--Also _Brittle silver ore_ and _Sulph-antimonite of silver_.
STEPHANOTIS, stef-a-n[=o]'tis, _n._ a genus of shrubby twining plants of the milkweed family. [Gr. _stephanos_, a crown, _ous_, _[=o]tos,_ the ear.]
STEPPE, step, _n._ one of the vast uncultivated plains in the south-east of Europe and in Asia. [Russ. _stepe_.]
STERCORAL, ster'ko-ral, _adj._ pertaining to excrement--also STER'CORARY, STERCOR[=A]'CEOUS.--_ns._ STER'CORANIST, STERCOR[=A]'RIAN, one who held that the sacramental bread was digested and evacuated like other food; STERCOR[=A]'RIANISM; STERCOR[=A]'RIUS, a genus of _Laridae_, the dung-hunters or skuas.--_v.t._ STER'CORATE, to manure.
STERCULIA, ster-k[=u]'li-a, _n._ the typical genus of _Sterculiaceae_, a family of large trees and shrubs, with mucilaginous and demulcent properties--Gum-tragacanth, &c. [L. _stercus_, dung.]
STERE, st[=e]r, _n._ a cubic unit of metric measure--a cubic metre, equivalent to 35.3156 English cubic feet.--_Decastere_=10 steres; _Decistere_=1/10 stere. [Fr. _stere_--Gr. _stereos_, solid.]
STEREO, ster'[=e]-[=o], _adj._ and _n._ a contr. of _stereotype_.