There is no exact agreed upon convention as to what steampunk is.
Oxford Dictionaries describe it as 'a genre of science fiction that typically features steam-powered machinery rather than advanced technology.'[1]
As the basis of a description, that is a good start yet does not fully elaborate on it.
Steampunk was influenced by the scientific romances of Jules Verne, H.G. Wells and other writers of that period. The term itself did not start being used in the late 1980s, to describe a growing sub-genre of science fiction.
In general, it is a genre often set in British Victorian times with anachronistic technologies, such as submarines, air-ships, robots, computers and more, all powered by steam and cogs rather than electricity.
But like any genre it encompasses more than that. It can be set in the Wild West, or alternative worlds. It includes TV and movies, art and fashion, music and culture.
For a more thorough look at what Steampunk is, Steampunk.com has a longer look at it, which is well worth a read.
[1] Oxforddictionaries.com (2012) Definition of steampunk. [online] Available at: http://oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/steampunk [Accessed: 21 Nov 2012].
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