Steve

See also: steve and STEVE

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /stiːv/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -iːv
• Homophone: steeve

Etymology 1

Shortening of various names ultimately derived from Latin Stephanus m, from Ancient Greek Στέφανος m (Stéphanos) from στέφανος m (stéphanos, “crown, wreath”)

Proper noun

Steve (plural Steves)

1. A diminutive of the male given name Steven and Stephen; also used as a formal male given name.
   • 1989, Ann Beattie, Picturing Will, Random House, →ISBN, page 67:

     His first name was probably Steve or Ed. No, there were no more Steves or Eds in New York. They were now Steven or Edward, whether they were gay or straight. If they had money, they didn't have a nickname. Everybody was into high seriousness, so that now even dogs were named Humphrey and Raphael.

2. A diminutive of the female given name Stephanie.
   • 1956, Grace Metalious, Peyton Place, UPNE, published 1999, →ISBN, Book Three, Chapter 13:

     Allison made a careful note of the address and within the hour she had met, decided she liked, and moved in with a girl of twenty who called herself Steve Wallace.
     "Don't call me Stephanie", Steve had said. "I don't know why it should, but being called Stephanie always makes me feel like something pale and dull out of Jane Austen."

Etymology 2

See STEVE [from 2016]

The atmospheric phenomenon was named for a scene in the film Over the Hedge, in which something unknown (a hedge) is given the name Steve. In late 2016, the backronym "Strong Thermal Emission Velocity Enhancement" was adopted.

Noun

Steve (plural Steves)

1. Alternative form of STEVE (an atmospheric optical phenomenon, appearing as a ribbon of light in the sky)

Anagrams

• evets

Cebuano

Etymology

Derived from English Steve, from Latin Stephanus m.

Proper noun

Steve

1. a male given name from English [in turn from Latin]

Noun

Steve

1. an atmospheric optical phenomenon, appearing as a ribbon of light in the sky