Standard Lemma guide

steen

name · noun · verb · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /stiːn/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -iːn
  • CMU ARPABET: S T IY1 N Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

name

Meaning 1

A surname from Germanic, equivalent to English Stone, equivalent of Peter or Peters (Petros - stone, rock)

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: Sten

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

Alternative form of stean.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: alt-of, alternative

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

Chenin blanc, a variety of white wine.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: South-Africa, countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

Alternative form of stean.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: alt-of, alternative

Examples

  • 1723, Richard Frost, James Young, et al., An Account of a Well near Queenborough in Kent, John Eames, John Martyn, The Philosophical Transactions 1719—1733, Abridged, Volume 6, Part 2, Royal Society (Great Britain), page 244, We then measured the Depth of it, and found it 200 Foot, and artificially steened the whole Depth with circular Portland Stone, which is all entire, and stands fair, the mean Diameter is four Foot eight Inches; [...] .
  • 1802, A Society of Practical Gardeners, Rural Recreations; Or The Gardener's Instructor, London, page 182, The sides and dome of the cone should be nine inches thick, and the sides ought to be constructed of steened brick-work, that is without mortar, and wrought at right angles to the face of the work: the vacancies behind may be filled with brick-bats, gravel, or loose stones, so that the water which escapes through the sides, may the more readily find its way into the reservoir.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

Dutch genre painter (1626-1679)

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: Jan Steen

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: old master

History

Etymology

* As a general Germanic surname, from Dutch Steen, West Flemish van der steen, Danish Steen, Swedish Steen, Norwegian Steen. Doublet of Stone and Stein. Compare Staines. * As a Scottish surname, shortened from Stephen. * As an Irish and Scottish Gaelic surname, shortened from mac Stiamhna (“son of Stephen”), usually Anglicized as McStephen, McStein.

Early Afrikaans, elliptically from steendruiven (“stone grapes”), from steen (“stone”) + druiven (“grapes”), plural of druif.

Across languages

Translations

4 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Danish: Steen — Translations
  • Dutch: Steen — Translations
  • Norwegian: Steen — Translations
  • Swedish: Steen — Translations
Real reading context

steen in complete knowledge articles

Marguerite Steen Literature & books · Challenging · 6 uses Jens Bille Literature & books · Developing · 3 uses