Forms: 1 stéda, 2–6 stede, 4 Sc. 5 north. sted, 4–6 steede, 4–7 Sc. steid, (4 stiede, 6–7 stead, 7 steade, stied), 5– steed. [OE. stéda wk. masc., a stud-horse, stallion:—OTeut. type *stōđjon-, f. *stōđō (OE. stód) STUD sb. Cf. ON. stedda mare.
The G. stute and Sw. sto, mare, seem to be shortened from compounds of OHG. stuot and Sw. sto (MSw. stop) = STUD sb.]
1. † a. In OE., a stud-horse, stallion. Obs. † b. In ME. and early mod.Eng., a high-mettled horse used on state occasions, in war, or in the lists; a great horse, as distinguished from a palfrey. Obs. c. From the 16th c. used only poet. or rhetorically for: A horse, usually one for riding; often with eulogistic adjs. (Also sometimes slightly jocular, as being a rather grandiloquent word.)
a. 900. trans. Bæda’s Hist., II. x. [xiii.] (1890), 138. Ond þone cyning bæd þæt he him wæpen sealde & stodhors … þa … nom his spere on hond & hleop on þæs cyninges stedan [L. emissarium].
c. 1000. Ælfric, Hom., I. 210. Ne het Crist him to lædan modiʓne stedan … ac þone wacan assan he ʓeceas him to byrðre.
c. 1175. Lamb. Hom., 5. He minte ridan ȝif he walde on riche stede and palefrai.
c. 1200. Trin. Coll. Hom., 89. He … bed hem bringen a wig one te riden, noðer stede ne palefrei, ne fair mule.
c. 1205. Lay., 26519. He wende his stede & to him gon ride. Ibid., 31405. Nim an hundred steden.
c. 1380. Sir Ferumb., 3810. An hors þat is worþ many a toun, No-war nys such a stede.
c. 1385. Chaucer, L. G. W., 1115. There was courser wel I-brydelid non Ne stede for to iuste wel to gon.
c. 1400. Maundev. (Roxb.), xxv. 118. Foure whyte stedez … drawez þis chariot.
c. 1430. Syr Gener. (Roxb.), 3792. Here Palfreys tho thei forsoke, And to here stedes thei hem toke.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 473/1. Steede, hors, dextrarius, gradarius, sonipes.
1470–85. Malory, Arthur, VII. xv. 236. Thenne they broughte hym a rede spere and a rede stede.
1593. Shaks., Rich. II., V. ii. 8. Mounted vpon a hot and fierie Steed.
1623. Cockeram, I. Steed, a lustie horse.
1667. Milton, P. L., IV. 858. The Fiend repli’d not … But like a proud Steed rein’d went hautie on, Chaumping his iron curb. Ibid., VI. 17. Chariots and flaming Armes, and fierie Steeds Reflecting blaze on blaze.
1733. Pope, Ess. Man, III. 35. The bounding steed you pompously, bestride.
1740. Somerville, Hobbinol, II. 218. He spur’d his sober Steed, grizled with Age, And venerably dull.
1817. Byron, Mazeppa, ix. ‘Bring forth the horse!’—the horse was brought; In truth, he was a noble steed.
1836. W. Irving, Astoria, III. 14. Mr. Stuart and his little band mounted their steeds and took a farewell of their fellow travellers.
1841. Borrow, Zincali, I. vii. II. 335. There was one steed which he particularly cherished, the finest horse in Spain.
1852. Tennyson, Ode Wellington, 55. And a reverent people behold The towering car, the sable steeds.
1894. Baring-Gould, Deserts S. France, II. 256. He was fanciful about his steed, and always rode choice horses.
d. transf. of other animals used for riding.
c. 1450. Mirour Saluacioun, 4121. Ane asse on palmesondaye was his stede certeynly.
1900. Pollok & Thom, Sports Burma, iii. 77. Neither steed [sc. elephant] would budge an inch.
e. Applied to a bicycle.
1877. H. H. Griffin, Bicycles of the Year, 8. The makers relying on the adopted and favourite types whereon to build a good steed.
2. attrib. and Comb., as steed-subduing adj., steed-like adj. and adv.; † steed-back in phr. on steed-back, on horseback; steed-horse † (a) Sc., a stud-horse, stallion (obs.); (b) ? U.S. a riding-borse; steid-meir Sc. STUD-MARE; † steed shroud, the trappings of a horse; † steed-yoke, a two-horsed car or chariot.
c. 1400–25. Langl., P. Pl., C. VII. 43 (MS. F). [Strengest vp-on] *stede-bac.
1766–80. Hugh Spencer, xxv. in Child, Ballads, III. 280. Now I am on that steede-back that I could not ride.
c. 1425. Wyntoun, Cron., I. 1030. Þe *steid hors gais in pasture gude,… Þe meris ar wiþin þar sicht.
1842. J. F. Watson, Ann. Philad. & Pennsylv. (1877), I. 275. He mounted a very fine steed horse.
1818. Milman, Samor, 238. The proud *steedlike tossing of his crest.
1839. Bailey, Festus, xxvii. (1848), 324. The steed-like world stands ready. Mount for life.
1582. Reg. Mag. Sig. Scot., 127/2. Unius *steid-meir.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 25464. Nu ask i noþer gra ne grene, Ne *stede scrud [a. 1300–1400 Stede schrud (Gött.); c. 1375 purtraied stede (Fairf.)].
1818. Shelley, Homer’s Castor & Pollux, 6. *Steed-subduing Castor.
1582. Stanyhurst, Æneis, II. (Arb.), 52. Hector … Harryed in *steedyocks [L. bigis] as of earst.
