English

Proper noun

Steven

1. A male given name, a variant spelling of Stephen.
   • 1989 Ann Beattie: Picturing Will. Random House. ISBN 0394569873 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.

Translations

Anagrams

• events

Danish

Proper noun

Steven

1. A male given name borrowed from English or Dutch.

Dutch

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈsteːvən/

Etymology

From Ancient Greek Στέφανος ‎(Stéphanos), from στέφανος ‎(stéphanos, “crown, wreath”), from στέφω ‎(stéphō, “to put round, to surround”).

Proper noun

Steven ?

1. A male given name.

Anagrams

• tevens

English

Alternative forms

• steaven, stevven, stevvon
• steavyn, stevin (15th-16th centuries)
• stewyn, stewyne, stewin, stevyne (Scotland)

Noun

steven ‎(plural stevens)

1. (Britain dialectal, Northern England, Scotland) The voice, now especially when loud or strong.
   • 1485, Sir Thomas Malory, chapter xij, in Le Morte Darthur, book XXI:

     Soo wythin syx wekye after syr Launcelot fyl seek and laye in his bedde & thenne he sente for the bysshop that there was heremyte and al his trewe felowes / Than Syr Launcelot sayd wyth drery steuen / syr bysshop I praye you gyue to me al my ryghtes that longeth to a chrysten man

   • a1801, Richard Gall, Poems & Songs (1819) 93:

     Then could her Sangsters loud their steven raise.

   • 1865, William Stott Banks, List Provinc. Words Wakefield:

     Thah's a rare stevven, lad.

   • a1886, Eric Mackay, Love Lett. Violinist (1895) 197:

     He […] lifted up his steven To keep the bulwarks of his faith secure.

2. (obsolete) Speech, language.
3. (obsolete) Voice; cry; that which is uttered; petition; prayer.
   • a1500 (1460), Towneley Plays (1994) I.ii.17:

     God that shope both erth and heuen, I pray to the thou here my steven.

   • 1589, Thomas Lodge, Scillaes Metamorphosis E 2:

     Father of light […] Bring to effect this my desired steauen.

4. (obsolete) A word, command, bidding or direction given.
   • 1597, Thomas Middleton, Wisdome of Solomon Paraphr. xviii. xiv–xvi. sig. Y3v:

     And brought thy precept? as a burning steauen, Reaching from heauen to earth, from earth to heauen.

5. (archaic) A promise, one's word.
6. (obsolete) An outcry, shout, or loud call; a clamour/clamor, noise; din.
   • 1826, James Hogg, Queen Hynde vi, in Poems (1865) 262:

     All nature roar'd in one dire steven; Heaven cried to earth, and earth to heaven.

7. (obsolete) A sound, the sound of a horn; melody, tune; song; sound made by an animal or a bird.
   • 1566, William Addlington, translator, The Golden Asse , Apuleius

     […] whereby the little birds weening that the spring time had bin come, did chirp and sing in their steven melodiously

Translations

Verb

steven ‎(third-person singular simple present stevens, present participle stevening, simple past and past participle stevened)

1. (transitive, obsolete) To speak; utter; describe; tell of; name.
2. (transitive, obsolete) To voice an opinion; vote.
3. (transitive, archaic) To vouch; speak up (for).
4. (transitive, dialectal) To bespeak.
5. (intransitive, dialectal) To talk; call out; shout; make a noise.

Translations

Related terms

• stevvon

Etymology 2

From Middle English steven ‎(“appointment”), from Old English stefn ‎(“a time, turn, tour of duty”), from Proto-Germanic *stabnijaz, *stabnijô ‎(“fixed time”), from Proto-Indo-European *stebh- ‎(“a stake, post; to support, stamp, insist, become angry”). Cognate with Middle Low German stevene ‎(“a court appointment”), Old Norse stefna ‎(“appointment, meeting”). More at staff.

Noun

steven ‎(plural stevens)

1. (obsolete) A time, occasion.
   • 1788, Samuel Johnson, George Steevens, The dramatick writings of Will. Shakspere, with the Notes of all the various Commentators:

     I should choose to read "at this dull season," rather than this dull steven, [...]— John Monck Mason.

2. (obsolete) A set time; a date or appointment.
   • 1485, Sir Thomas Malory, Le Morte Darthur, Book VIII:

     And that same nyght that the steavyn was sette betwyxte Segwarydes wyff and Sir Trystrames, so Kynge Marke armed and made hym redy [...].

Verb

steven ‎(third-person singular simple present stevens, present participle stevening, simple past and past participle stevened)

1. (transitive, obsolete) To call; summon; command; appoint.
2. (intransitive, obsolete) To alternate; take turns.

Derived terms

• to set steven
• unset steven

See also

• even steven

Anagrams

• events

Dutch

Pronunciation

• Hyphenation: ste‧ven

Etymology

From Middle Dutch stēvene.

Noun

steven m ‎(plural stevens)

1. the part of a ship's deck that stretches along the entire length of the keel including the bow and the stern

Derived terms

• voorsteven
• achtersteven
• ramsteven

Anagrams

• tevens

Middle English

Etymology 1

From Old English stefn, stemn ‎(“voice, sound”). More at steven.

Alternative forms

• stevin, steiven, stephene, steavene, steme, stemne

Noun

steven (plural stevens)

1. The voice of a human being; a voice.
2. A vocal sound.
3. sound; tonal pattern.
4. Manner of speaking.

Etymology 2

From Old English stefn ‎(“appointed time”).

Alternative forms

• stemne
• stevene

Noun

steven

1. time, set time, appointment
   • c. 1385, Geoffrey Chaucer, ‘The Knight's Tale’, Canterbury Tales:

     It is ful fair a man to bere hym euene, / For al day meeten men at vnset steuene.

2. period of time, occasion
   • 1398, John Trevisa, trans. Bartholomaeus, De Proprietatibus Rerum:
   • Suche stenche is continual and comeþ nouȝt by stemnes.‎

     (please add an English translation of this usage example)

Scots

Alternative forms

• stevin
• stewyn

Etymology

From Middle English stewin, from Old English stefn ‎(“voice”), from Proto-Germanic *stebnō, *stamnijō ‎(“voice”), from Proto-Indo-European *stomen- ‎(“mouth, muzzle”). Cognates: see above, steven.

Noun

steven ‎(plural stevens)

1. voice
2. a loud outcry