Step Definition

stĕp
stepped, stepping, steps
noun
steps
The single complete movement of raising one foot and putting it down in another spot, as in walking.
American Heritage
The distance covered by such a movement.
Webster's New World
The act of moving and placing the foot forward, backward, sideways, up, or down, as in walking, dancing, or climbing.
Webster's New World
A manner of stepping; gait.
Webster's New World
Any of various paces or strides in marching.
The goose step.
Webster's New World
verb
stepped, stepping, steps
To take (one or more strides or paces)
Webster's New World
To move with measured steps, as in dancing.
Webster's New World
To walk, esp. a short distance.
Step outside.
Webster's New World
To move across or over on foot.
Webster's New World
To press down with the foot (on something)
To step on the brake.
Webster's New World
Synonyms:
prefix
Related by means of a remarriage rather than by blood.
Stepparent.
American Heritage

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.

Wiktionary
affix
Related through the remarriage of a parent.
Stepchild, stepparent.
Webster's New World
idiom
in step
  • Moving in rhythm.
  • In conformity with one's environment:

    in step with the times.

American Heritage
out of step
  • Not moving in rhythm:

    recruits marching out of step.

  • Not in conformity with one's environment:

    out of step with the times.

American Heritage
step by step
  • By degrees.
American Heritage
step on it
  • To go faster; hurry.
American Heritage
break step
  • to stop marching in cadence
Webster's New World

Other Word Forms of Step

Noun

Singular:
step
Plural:
steps

Origin of Step

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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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