Meaning & use
steppes
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“steppes” is a form of “steppe”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meaning
nounplural
Large, flat areas of dry grassland, especially in parts of Europe and Asia, with few trees.
Grammar: This is the plural of 'steppe'. It often appears as 'the steppes' when talking about a whole region. A single one is 'a steppe'.
Patterns
- the steppes of something
- on the steppes
- across the steppes
Horses have been raised on the steppes of Central Asia for thousands of years.
The wind blows constantly across the open steppes.
Many rare birds nest in the steppes during the short summer.
Word forms
| singular | steppe |
|---|
Common combinations
- the Russian steppes
- Wheat is grown on the Russian steppes.
- the Central Asian steppes
- Traders once crossed the Central Asian steppes on camels.
- vast steppes
- The vast steppes stretch for hundreds of miles.
- open steppes
- Herds of antelope roam the open steppes.
Synonyms and how they differ
- plains
- 'Plains' is a general word for flat land and can be fertile or grassy; 'steppes' specifically means dry grassland with few trees.
- prairie
- 'Prairie' refers to similar grassland in North America, while 'steppes' is used mainly for Europe and Asia.
- savanna
- 'Savanna' is tropical grassland with scattered trees, usually in Africa; 'steppes' are temperate and drier.
Commonly confused: steppes or steps?
steppes vs steps
'Steps' means the movements you take when walking or a set of stairs. 'Steppes' sounds the same in some accents but means dry grassland.
Practice
The nomads traveled for weeks across the dry ______ of Mongolia.
Choose one answer.
'Steppes' is the plural noun for large dry grasslands and fits 'across the dry ... of Mongolia'. 'Steps' means movements or stairs; 'steppe' is singular and would need 'the steppe', not 'the dry steppe of Mongolia' in this plural context; 'steep' is an adjective meaning sharply sloping.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “steppes”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.