ENGLISH
REFERENCE

steed

n.
C1 Advanced US //ˈstid// UK //stˈiːd// steed Archaic Humorous Literary Slang

n. a horse, especially one that is very strong or beautiful. You usually hear this word in stories or when someone is being very poetic.

n. a horse, typically one of great strength or beauty. Often used in a literary or archaic context to evoke a sense of grandeur or heroism.


SIMPLE

The knight rode his white steed into the castle.

CONTEXTUAL

In many classic fairy tales, the hero is seen riding his loyal steed across the dark forest.

COMPLEX

The poet described the king's arrival as a majestic procession, with his silver-maned steed leading the way through the ancient stone gates.

Origin

Inherited from Middle English stede (“steed”), from Old English stēda (“stallion, stud”), from Proto-West Germanic *stōdijō; (compare Old Dutch stoti (“herd of horses”), Old High German stuot (“herd of horses”)).

© 2026 English Reference