sb. [OE. stéopbearn: see STEP-. Cf. ON. stjúpbarn (Sw. styfbarn, Da. stifbarn) in sense 2.]
† 1. An orphan. Obs.
c. 1000. Ælfric, Saints’ Lives, ix. 63. Þæt mann … steopbearnum ʓehelpe.
c. 1175. Lamb. Hom., 115. He scal biwerian widewan and steopbern.
a. 1340. Hampole, Psalter, ix. 38. Til stepbarn þou sall be helpere.
2. Sc. A stepson or stepdaughter; = STEPCHILD 2.
1535. Stewart, Cron. Scot., III. 402. Suppois scho wes bot hir stepbarne as than.
1631. Rutherford, Lett. (1862), I. 76. And that if any were a Stepbairn, in respect of comfort and sense, it were rather myself than His poor bairns.
1721. J. Kelly, Sc. Prov., 328. That’s the piece the Step-Bairn never got.
1909. R. J. Drummond, Faith’s Cert., 329. There are no step-bairns in the family of God.
Hence † Stepbairn v. Sc., trans. to treat as a step-child.
1606. Birnie, Kirk-Buriall (1833), 34. Why doe they so partially step-barne the pursse-miserable poore from such a soul-helpe?
