steed
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of steed
before 900; Middle English stēde, Old English stēda stallion; akin to stōd stud 2; compare German Stute
Explanation
A steed is horse used for riding. In adventure stories set in the Middle Ages, knights are always galloping around on their trusty steeds. The noun steed is a very old-fashioned way to say "horse." In Middle English, a steed was distinguished as "a great horse," as opposed to a palfrey, an ordinary, everyday horse. So a steed was typically a war horse that carried warriors into battle. Since the 16th century, this word has primarily been used in literary contexts.
Vocabulary lists containing steed
Tolkien Reading Day, List 4
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Enchanted Air
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Unit 2, Week 5
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The jarring images of the king’s brother astride a steed sparked an immediate reaction in Buckingham Palace.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 4, 2026
If the clomping hooves from the first horseman’s approaching steed got too loud, we’d just turn the music up.
From Salon • Dec. 21, 2025
In the show, Kyle eschews motor vehicles for a trusty steed, which gives him more access to the less traversed areas of the park.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 17, 2025
A campaign video of him cantering through fields on a white steed also helps.
From BBC • Dec. 10, 2024
The winged steed Pegasus, after skimming the air all day, went every night to a comfortable stable in Corinth.
From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
