Stee·ple n.  Arch. A spire; also, the tower and spire taken together; the whole of a structure if the roof is of spire form. See Spire. “A weathercock on a steeple.”
 Rood steeple. See Rood tower, under Rood.
 Steeple bush Bot., a low shrub (Spiraea tomentosa) having dense panicles of minute rose-colored flowers; hardhack.
 Steeple chase, a race across country between a number of horsemen, to see which can first reach some distant object, as a church steeple; hence, a race over a prescribed course obstructed by such obstacles as one meets in riding across country, as hedges, walls, etc.
 Steeple chaser, one who rides in a steeple chase; also, a horse trained to run in a steeple chase.
 Steeple engine, a vertical back-acting steam engine having the cylinder beneath the crosshead.
 Steeple house, a church. [Obs.] --Jer. Taylor.

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 Hard·hack n. Bot. A very astringent shrub (Spiraea tomentosa), common in pastures.  The Potentilla fruticosa is also called by this name.

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