steppe

noun

1
: one of the vast usually level and treeless tracts in southeastern Europe or Asia
2
: arid land with xerophilous vegetation found usually in regions of extreme temperature range and loess soil

Examples of steppe in a Sentence

nomads have long grazed yaks on the steppes of Mongolia
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The find suggest Tarim Basim people learned kefir production techniques from Eurasian steppe populations. Ashley J. Dimella Fox News, Fox News, 26 Sep. 2024 Once the animals were a crucial piece of the ecosystem in the steppes of Central Asia. Allison Parshall, Scientific American, 4 July 2024 Experts believe that the culture responsible for the burial would have been closely related to the Scythians, a group of nomadic tribes who lived in the Eurasian steppe in antiquity, given the elaborate horse sacrifices found at the tomb. Francesca Aton, ARTnews.com, 8 Oct. 2024 In 2018, nuclear genomic sequencing revealed that Botai horses were not the ancestors of domestic horses but of Przewalski’s horse, a wild relative and denizen of the steppe that has never been domesticated, at least in recorded history. William Taylor, The Conversation, 3 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for steppe 

Word History

Etymology

Russian step'

First Known Use

1671, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of steppe was in 1671

Dictionary Entries Near steppe

Cite this Entry

“Steppe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/steppe. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

steppe

noun
: land in regions of wide temperature range (as in southeastern Europe and parts of Asia) that is dry, usually rather level, and covered with grass

More from Merriam-Webster on steppe

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!