Step Definition
A prefix used before father, mother, brother, sister, son, daughter, child, and so forth, to indicate that the person being identified is not a blood relative but is related through the marriage of a parent.
- Moving in rhythm.
- In conformity with one's environment:
in step with the times.
- Not moving in rhythm:
recruits marching out of step.
- Not in conformity with one's environment:
out of step with the times.
- By degrees.
- To go faster; hurry.
- to stop marching in cadence
Idioms, Phrasal Verbs Related to Step
Origin of Step
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From Middle English steppen, from Old English steppan (“to step, go, proceed, advance"), stepe (“step"), from Proto-Germanic *stapjanÄ… (“to step"), *stapiz (“step"), from Proto-Indo-European *stÁb-, *stÁbÊ°-, *stemb-, *stembÊ°- (“to support, stomp, curse, be amazed"). Cognate with West Frisian stappe (“to step"), North Frisian stape (“to walk, trudge"), Dutch stappen (“to step, walk"), German stapfen (“to trudge, stomp, plod"). Related to stamp, stomp.
From Wiktionary
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From Middle English step-, from Old English stÄ“op- (“deprived of a relative, step-", prefix), from Proto-Germanic *steupa- (“orphaned, step-"), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)teup- (“to push, strike"). Cognate with Scots step- (“step-"), West Frisian stiep- (“step-"), Dutch stief- (“step-"), Low German steef- (“step-"), German stief- (“step-"), Swedish styv- (“step-"), Icelandic stjúp- (“step-"). Related to Old English stÄ«epan (“to deprive, bereave").
From Wiktionary
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ME < OE steop-, orphaned (akin to Ger stief-, ON stjup-) < base of stiepan, to bereave, prob. < IE *(s)teub-, to strike (hence “cut off”) > stump, steep: orig. used of orphaned children
From Webster's New World College Dictionary, 5th Edition
Middle English from Old English stæpe, stepe
From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
Middle English from Old English stēop-
From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
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