Steppe

Pronunciation

• UK IPA: /stÉ›p/
• Rhymes: -É›p
• Homophones: step

Origin

1671. From German or French, in turn from Russian степь (step’, "flat grassy plain") or Ukrainian степ (step). There is no generally accepted earlier etymology, but there is a speculative Old East Slavic reconstruction *сътепь (sъtep’, ""), related to топот (tópot), топтать (toptát’).

Full definition of steppe

Noun

1. The grasslands of Eastern Europe and Asia. Similar to (North American) prairie and (African) savannah.
2. More properly, the name given vast cold, dry grass-plains.
• Grasslands: The Steppe biome is a dry, cold, grassland that is found in all of the continents except Australia and Antarctica. It is mostly found in the USA, Mongolia, Siberia, Tibet and China. There isn't much humidity in the air because Steppe is located away from the ocean and close to mountain barriers. http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/steppe.htm - 8k

Usage notes

Although it may be the steppe biome, one would not normally speak of the steppes of Canada, whereas one would speak of the steppes of Asia or the steppes of Russia.