Definition of "steppe" [steppe]

• A vast semiarid grass-covered plain, as found in southeast Europe, Siberia, and central North America. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "With its famous black soil, the Ukrainian steppe is one of the most fertile regions in world but the legacy of Soviet collectivisation means agriculture is not as efficient as in other countries."
• "The word steppe, or step, is Russian, and not Tartarian."
• "Generally, the steppe is a transitional belt surrounding the desert and separating it from humid climates beyond."