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step

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
See also: Appendix:Variations of "step"

English

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English Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia
Two steps [2] of a staircase

Pronunciation

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Etymology 1

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Etymology tree
Proto-Germanic *stapiz
Proto-Germanic *stappōnąbf.
Proto-Germanic *stapjaną
Proto-West Germanic *stappjan
Old English stæppan
Middle English steppen
English step

    From Middle English steppen, from Old English steppan (“to step, go, proceed, advance”), stepe (“step”), from Proto-West Germanic *stappjan, from Proto-Germanic *stapjaną (“to step”), *stapiz (“step”), from Proto-Indo-European *stebʰ- (“to support, stomp, curse, be amazed”).

    Cognate with West Frisian stappe (“to step”), North Frisian stape (“to walk, trudge”), Dutch stappen (“to step, walk”), Walloon steper (“to walk away, leave”), German stapfen (“to trudge, stomp, plod”) and further to Slavic Polish stąpać (“to stomp, stamp, step, tread”), Russian ступать (stupatʹ) and Polish stopień (“step, stair, rung, degree”), Russian степень (stepenʹ). Related to stamp, stomp.

    Noun

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    step (plural steps)

    1. An advance or movement made from one foot to the other; a pace.
      • 1914 November, Louis Joseph Vance, “An Outsider […]”, in Munsey’s Magazine, volume LIII, number II, New York, N.Y.: The Frank A[ndrew] Munsey Company, […], published 1915, →OCLC, chapter III (Accessory After the Fact), page 382, column 1:
        Turning back, then, toward the basement staircase, she began to grope her way through blinding darkness, but had taken only a few uncertain steps when, of a sudden, she stopped short and for a little stood like a stricken thing, quite motionless save that she quaked to her very marrow in the grasp of a great and enervating fear.
      • For more quotations using this term, see Citations:step.
    3. A rest, or one of a set of rests, for the foot in ascending or descending, as a stair, or a rung of a ladder.
      • 1624, Sir Henry Wotton, The Elements Of Architecture:
        The breadth of every single step or stair should be never less than one foot.
      • 1897 December (indicated as 1898), Winston Churchill, chapter IV, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., →OCLC:
        One morning I had been driven to the precarious refuge afforded by the steps of the inn, after rejecting offers from the Celebrity to join him in a variety of amusements. But even here I was not free from interruption, for he was seated on a horse-block below me, playing with a fox terrier.
      • 1967, Barbara Sleigh, Jessamy, Sevenoaks, Kent: Bloomsbury, published 1993, →ISBN, page 122:
        Through the open front door ran Jessamy, down the steps to where Kitto was sitting at the bottom with the pram beside him.
      • For more quotations using this term, see Citations:step.
    4. The part of a spade, digging stick or similar tool that a digger's foot rests against and presses on when digging; an ear, a foot-rest.
    5. (glassblowing) The button joining a glass's stem to its foot.
    6. A distinct part of a process; stage; phase.
      He improved step by step, or by steps.
      The first step is to find a job.
      • 2026 September 18, Octavio Peña, “A salmon dish as a last hurrah for summer produce”, in San Francisco Chronicle‎[1], archived from the original on 23 September 2026:
        The first step in the recipe produces the flavorful base for the mayo: Garlic and habaneros are cooked low and slow in oil to mellow and sweeten their bold flavors.
    7. A running board where passengers step to get on and off the bus.
      The driver must have a clear view of the step in order to prevent accidents.
    8. The space passed over by one movement of the foot in walking or running.
      One step is generally about three feet, but may be more or less.
    9. A small space or distance.
      It is but a step.
    10. A print of the foot; a footstep; a footprint; track.
    11. A gait; manner of walking.
      The approach of a man is often known by his step.
    12. Proceeding; measure; action; act.
      • 1717, Alexander Pope, Preface to his collection of poems:
        The reputation of a man depends on the first steps he makes in the world.
      • c. 1792, William Cowper, The Needless Alarm:
        Beware of desperate steps. The darkest day, Live till to-morrow, will have passed away.
      • 1879, George Washington Cable, Old Creole Days:
        I have lately taken steps […] to relieve the old gentleman's distresses.
      • 2019, VOA Learning English (public domain)
        Moon has also requested that government officials take additional steps to help fight pollution, his spokesman said.
    13. (in the plural) A walk; passage.
      • 1697, Virgil, “(please specify the book number)”, in John Dryden, transl., The Works of Virgil: Containing His Pastorals, Georgics, and Æneis. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC:
        Conduct my steps to find the fatal tree.
    14. (in the plural) A portable framework of stairs, much used indoors in reaching to a high position.
    15. (nautical) A framing in wood or iron which is intended to receive an upright shaft; specifically, a block of wood, or a solid platform upon the keelson, supporting the heel of the mast.
    16. (machines) One of a series of offsets, or parts, resembling the steps of stairs, as one of the series of parts of a cone pulley on which the belt runs.
    17. (machines) A bearing in which the lower extremity of a spindle or a vertical shaft revolves.
    19. (music) The interval between two contiguous degrees of the scale.
      Usage note: The word tone is often used as the name of this interval; but there is evident incongruity in using tone for indicating the interval between tones. As the word scale is derived from the Italian scala, a ladder, the intervals may well be called steps.
    20. (kinematics) A change of position effected by a motion of translation.
      • 1878, William Kingdon Clifford, Elements of Dynamic: An Introduction to the Study of Motion:
        A change of position effected by a motion of translation will be called a step.
    21. (programming) A constant difference between consecutive values in a series.
      Printing from 0 to 9 with a step of 3 will display 0, 3, 6 and 9.
    22. (slang, primarily Netherlands) Kick scooter.
    23. Stepping (style of dance)
    Synonyms
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    Hyponyms
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    Derived terms
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    Translations
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    The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
    Translations to be checked

    Verb

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    step (third-person singular simple present steps, present participle stepping, simple past and past participle stepped or (dated) stept or (obsolete) stope)

    1. (intransitive) To move the foot in walking; to advance or recede by raising and moving one of the feet to another resting place, or by moving both feet in succession.
      • 2013 June 1, “Ideas coming down the track”, in The Economist, volume 407, number 8838, page 13 (Technology Quarterly):
        A “moving platform” scheme […] is more technologically ambitious than maglev trains even though it relies on conventional rails. Local trains would use side-by-side rails to roll alongside intercity trains and allow passengers to switch trains by stepping through docking bays.
      1. (intransitive) To don with a stepping action.
        He stepped into his pants.
    2. (intransitive) To walk; to go (on foot, especially) a little distance.
      Come one, come all. Step right up!
      The convention roared as the president stepped to the podium.
      to step to one of the neighbors
      • 1902, John Buchan, The Outgoing of the Tide:
        Some days later it happened that young Heriotside was stepping home over the Lang Muir about ten at night, it being his first jaunt from home since his arm had mended.
      • 2004, Intelligent Systems, translated by Nintendo of America, Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, Nintendo, GameCube, level/area: Twilight Town:
        Well... It's hard to talk about in front of the children. Can we step outside?
    3. (intransitive) To walk slowly, gravely, or resolutely.
    4. To dance.
      • 2013, Calvin Vraa, The Last Pathway Home, page 179:
        At arms length with left hands clasped they moved back where facing each other they stepped in time to their dance embrace.
      • 2013, Jean Fullerton, Call Nurse Millie:
        She clapped, but instead of walking her back to the table, Alex took her hand and pulled her gently towards him, slipping his arm around her waist again and stepping her off on the first beat of the next dance.
      • 2017, Christine Schimpf, A Christmas Kind of Perfect:
        He stepped to the beat of one of their favorite songs.
      • 2018, Paula Poundstone, The Totally Unscientific Study of the Search for Human Happiness, page 180:
        He put on a tame version of the 1960s song “The Letter,” wrapped his right arm around my waist, raised my right hand, draped it over his left, and we stepped, stepped, and back stepped to the beat.
    5. (intransitive, figuratively) To move mentally; to go in imagination.
    6. (transitive) To set, as the foot.
      • 2010, Charles E. Miller, Winds of Mercy: 40 Short Stories, page 219:
        One of the women, Elsie, stepped her foot inside to help the woman.
    7. (transitive, nautical) To fix the foot of (a mast) in its step; to erect.
      • 1898, Joseph Conrad, Youth:
        We put everything straight, stepped the long-boat's mast for our skipper, who was in charge of her, and I was not sorry to sit down for a moment.
    8. (transitive) To advance a process gradually, one step at a time.
    9. (intransitive, slang, African-American Vernacular) To depart.
      You best step, cuz things are about to jump off.
    10. (intransitive, slang) To be confrontational.
      Antonym: step off
      Coordinate term: step up
      You tryna be steppin right now? You better bring it if so.
    Derived terms
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    Descendants
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    • → Dutch: steppen
    Translations
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    The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
    Translations to be checked

    Etymology 2

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    Etymology tree
    English stepchildclip.
    Proto-Indo-European *(s)tew-
    Proto-Germanic *steupa-
    Proto-West Germanic *steupa-
    Old English stēop-
    Middle English step-
    English step-
    English sibling
    English stepsiblingclip.
    English step

      Clipping of stepchild and stepsibling.

      Noun

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      step (plural steps)

      1. (colloquial) A stepchild.
        • 1934 September 6, George Herriman, Krazy Kat, comic strip, →ISBN, page 234:
          [Krazy Kat, after complimenting a woman on her nice polite little child:] Boy or girl?
          [Woman:] Step – but well brung up.
      2. (colloquial) A stepsibling.
        • 2016, Robert M. Herzog, A World Between:
          So for Richard and Barbara, Jeff and Kari, the impossibly varied collection of steps and halves that is another legacy of my father.

      See also

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      Further reading

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      Anagrams

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      Albanian

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      Etymology

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      From cep (“corner, angle, edge, tip”) via a metathesis.[1][2]

      Pronunciation

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      Noun

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      step m (plural stepa, definite stepi, definite plural stepat)

      1. pointed tip
        Synonyms: thep, majë

      References

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      1. ^ Jokl, Norbert (1929), Balkangermanisches und Germanisches im Albanischen. In Festschrift der 57. Versammlung deutscher Philologen und Schulmänner in Salzburg vom 25. bis 29. September 1929 gewidmet, Wien: Rohrer, page 125
      2. ^ Çabej, E. (1987), “cep”, in Studime etimologjike në fushë të shqipes (in Albanian), volumes III: C–D, Tirana: Akademia e Shkencave e Republikës Popullore të Shqipërisë, Instituti i Gjuhësisë dhe i Letërsisë, pages 20-21

      Czech

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      Awaiting nomination clean-up This term has a FWOTD nomination, but is not ready to be featured.
      A nomination requires a translated quote for each feature-desired sense and either an audio file or IPA transcription. Please see the submission for more details in Wiktionary:Foreign word of the day/Nominations.

      Pronunciation

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      Etymology 1

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        Borrowed from Ukrainian степ (step).[1] First attested in the 18th century.

        Noun

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        step f

        1. steppe
        Declension
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        Declension of step (mixed i-stem [type 'myš'] feminine)
        singular plural
        nominative step stepi
        genitive stepi stepí
        dative stepi stepím
        accusative step stepi
        vocative stepi stepi
        locative stepi stepích
        instrumental stepí stepmi

        Etymology 2

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          Borrowed from English step.

          Noun

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          step m inan

          1. tap dance
          Declension
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          Declension of step (hard masculine inanimate)
          singular plural
          nominative step stepy
          genitive stepu stepů
          dative stepu stepům
          accusative step stepy
          vocative stepe stepy
          locative stepu stepech
          instrumental stepem stepy

          References

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          1. ^ Machek, Václav (1968), “step”, in Etymologický slovník jazyka českého [Etymological Dictionary of the Czech Language], 2nd edition, Prague: Academia, page 577

          Further reading

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          Dutch

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          Etymology

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          Borrowed from English step (“footrest on a bicycle”).

          Pronunciation

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          Noun

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          step f (plural steps, diminutive stepje n)

          1. kick scooter
            Synonyms: autoped, trottinette
          2. (dated) a mounting bracket on a bicycle

          Derived terms

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          Descendants

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          Indonesian

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          Pronunciation

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          Etymology 1

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          From English step.

          Noun

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          stèp (plural step-step)

          1. (especially sports) step; pace, gait
            Synonym: langkah

          Etymology 2

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          From Dutch stuip.

          Alternative forms

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          Noun

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          stèp (plural step-step)

          1. (colloquial, medicine) convulsion
            Synonyms: kejang, konvulsi, sawan

          Further reading

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          Khasi

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          Noun

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          step f

          1. morning

          Derived terms

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          References

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          • Singh, U Nissor (1906), Khasi-English dictionary‎[2], Shillong: Eastern Bengal and Assam Secretariat Press, page 211. Searchable online at SEAlang.net.

          Middle English

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          Noun

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          step

          1. alternative form of steppe

          Polish

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          Polish Wikipedia has an article on:
          Wikipedia pl

          Etymology

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          Etymology tree
          Old East Slavic степь (stepĭ)der.
          Ukrainian степ (step)bor.
          Polish step

            Borrowed from Ukrainian степ (step).

            Pronunciation

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            Noun

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            step m inan

            1. (often in the plural) steppe

            Declension

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            Declension of step
            singular plural
            nominative step stepy
            genitive stepu stepów
            dative stepowi stepom
            accusative step stepy
            instrumental stepem stepami
            locative stepie stepach
            vocative stepie stepy

            Further reading

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            • “step”, in Wielki słownik języka polskiego‎[3] (in Polish), Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
            • “step”, in Polish dictionaries at PWN‎[4] (in Polish)

            Romanian

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            Etymology

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              Borrowed from English step.

              Noun

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              step n (uncountable)

              1. (dance) tap dance

              Declension

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              singular only indefinite definite
              nominative-accusative step stepul
              genitive-dative step stepului
              vocative stepule

              Spanish

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              Etymology

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              Etymology tree
              Proto-Germanic *stapiz
              Proto-Germanic *stappōnąbf.
              Proto-Germanic *stapjaną
              Proto-West Germanic *stappjan
              Old English stæppan
              Middle English steppen
              English stepubor.
              Spanish step

                Unadapted borrowing from English step.

                Pronunciation

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                • IPA(key): /ˈstep/ [ˈst̪ep], /esˈtep/ [esˈt̪ep]
                • Rhymes: -ep
                • Syllabification: step

                Noun

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                step m (uncountable)

                1. step training

                Usage notes

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                According to Royal Spanish Academy (RAE) prescriptions, unadapted foreign words should be written in italics in a text printed in roman type, and vice versa, and in quotation marks in a manuscript text or when italics are not available. In practice, this RAE prescription is not always followed.

                Turkish

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                Turkish Wikipedia has an article on:
                Wikipedia tr

                Pronunciation

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                Etymology 1

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                Through English steppe or borrowed directly from French steppe, from Russian степь (stepʹ).

                Noun

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                step (definite accusative stepi, plural stepler)

                1. steppe (the grasslands of Eastern Europe and Asia)
                  Synonym: bozkır
                Declension
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                Declension of step
                singular plural
                nominative step stepler
                definite accusative stepi stepleri
                dative stepe steplere
                locative stepte steplerde
                ablative stepten steplerden
                genitive stepin steplerin
                Possessive forms
                nominative
                singular plural
                1st singular stepim steplerim
                2nd singular stepin steplerin
                3rd singular stepi stepleri
                1st plural stepimiz steplerimiz
                2nd plural stepiniz stepleriniz
                3rd plural stepleri stepleri
                definite accusative
                singular plural
                1st singular stepimi steplerimi
                2nd singular stepini steplerini
                3rd singular stepini steplerini
                1st plural stepimizi steplerimizi
                2nd plural stepinizi steplerinizi
                3rd plural steplerini steplerini
                dative
                singular plural
                1st singular stepime steplerime
                2nd singular stepine steplerine
                3rd singular stepine steplerine
                1st plural stepimize steplerimize
                2nd plural stepinize steplerinize
                3rd plural steplerine steplerine
                locative
                singular plural
                1st singular stepimde steplerimde
                2nd singular stepinde steplerinde
                3rd singular stepinde steplerinde
                1st plural stepimizde steplerimizde
                2nd plural stepinizde steplerinizde
                3rd plural steplerinde steplerinde
                ablative
                singular plural
                1st singular stepimden steplerimden
                2nd singular stepinden steplerinden
                3rd singular stepinden steplerinden
                1st plural stepimizden steplerimizden
                2nd plural stepinizden steplerinizden
                3rd plural steplerinden steplerinden
                genitive
                singular plural
                1st singular stepimin steplerimin
                2nd singular stepinin steplerinin
                3rd singular stepinin steplerinin
                1st plural stepimizin steplerimizin
                2nd plural stepinizin steplerinizin
                3rd plural steplerinin steplerinin
                Predicative forms
                singular plural
                1st singular stepim steplerim
                2nd singular stepsin steplersin
                3rd singular step
                steptir                 		stepler
                steplerdir
                1st plural stepiz stepleriz
                2nd plural stepsiniz steplersiniz
                3rd plural stepler steplerdir
                Derived terms
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                Etymology 2

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                Etymology tree
                Proto-Germanic *stapiz
                Proto-Germanic *stappōnąbf.
                Proto-Germanic *stapjaną
                Proto-West Germanic *stappjan
                Old English stæppan
                Middle English steppen
                English stepbor.
                Turkish step

                  Borrowed from English step.

                  Noun

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                  step (definite accusative stepi, plural stepler)

                  1. (basketball) traveling (basketball rule violation)
                    Synonym: hatalı yürüme
                  2. (dance) This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.
                  Declension
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                  Declension of step
                  singular plural
                  nominative step stepler
                  definite accusative stepi stepleri
                  dative stepe steplere
                  locative stepte steplerde
                  ablative stepten steplerden
                  genitive stepin steplerin
                  Possessive forms
                  nominative
                  singular plural
                  1st singular stepim steplerim
                  2nd singular stepin steplerin
                  3rd singular stepi stepleri
                  1st plural stepimiz steplerimiz
                  2nd plural stepiniz stepleriniz
                  3rd plural stepleri stepleri
                  definite accusative
                  singular plural
                  1st singular stepimi steplerimi
                  2nd singular stepini steplerini
                  3rd singular stepini steplerini
                  1st plural stepimizi steplerimizi
                  2nd plural stepinizi steplerinizi
                  3rd plural steplerini steplerini
                  dative
                  singular plural
                  1st singular stepime steplerime
                  2nd singular stepine steplerine
                  3rd singular stepine steplerine
                  1st plural stepimize steplerimize
                  2nd plural stepinize steplerinize
                  3rd plural steplerine steplerine
                  locative
                  singular plural
                  1st singular stepimde steplerimde
                  2nd singular stepinde steplerinde
                  3rd singular stepinde steplerinde
                  1st plural stepimizde steplerimizde
                  2nd plural stepinizde steplerinizde
                  3rd plural steplerinde steplerinde
                  ablative
                  singular plural
                  1st singular stepimden steplerimden
                  2nd singular stepinden steplerinden
                  3rd singular stepinden steplerinden
                  1st plural stepimizden steplerimizden
                  2nd plural stepinizden steplerinizden
                  3rd plural steplerinden steplerinden
                  genitive
                  singular plural
                  1st singular stepimin steplerimin
                  2nd singular stepinin steplerinin
                  3rd singular stepinin steplerinin
                  1st plural stepimizin steplerimizin
                  2nd plural stepinizin steplerinizin
                  3rd plural steplerinin steplerinin
                  Predicative forms
                  singular plural
                  1st singular stepim steplerim
                  2nd singular stepsin steplersin
                  3rd singular step
                  steptir                   		stepler
                  steplerdir
                  1st plural stepiz stepleriz
                  2nd plural stepsiniz steplersiniz
                  3rd plural stepler steplerdir
                  Derived terms
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                  Further reading

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                  Retrieved from "https://en.wiktionary.org/w/index.php?title=step&oldid=93432999"