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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Step \Step\, verb (used without an object) [imp. & p. p. {Stepped}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Stepping}.] [AS. st[ae]ppan; akin to OFries. steppa, D. stappen to step, stap a step, OHG. stepfen to step, G. stapfe a footstep, OHG. stapfo, G. stufe a step to step on; cf. Gr. ? to shake about, handle roughly, stamp (?). Cf. {Stamp}, noun & a.]
1. 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.
2. To walk; to go on foot; esp., to walk a little distance; as, to step to one of the neighbors.
3. To walk slowly, gravely, or resolutely.
Home the swain retreats, His flock before him stepping to the fold. --Thomson.
4. Fig.: To move mentally; to go in imagination.
They are stepping almost three thousand years back into the remotest antiquity. --Pope.
{To step aside}, to walk a little distance from the rest; to retire from company.
{To step forth}, to move or come forth.
{To step in} or {To step into}. (a) To walk or advance into a place or state, or to advance suddenly in.
Whosoever then first, after the troubling of the water, stepped in, was made whole of whatsoever disease he had. --John v. 4. (b) To enter for a short time; as, I just stepped into the house. (c) To obtain possession without trouble; to enter upon easily or suddenly; as, to step into an estate.
{To step out}. (a) (Mil.) To increase the length, but not the rapidity, of the step, extending it to thirty-tree inches. (b) To go out for a short distance or a short time.
{To step short} (Mil.), to diminish the length or rapidity of the step according to the established rules.
From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:
step
noun
1: any maneuver made as part of progress toward a goal; "the situation called for strong measures"; "the police took steps to reduce crime" [syn: {measure}]
2: the distance covered by a step; "he stepped off ten paces from the old tree and began to dig" [syn: {footstep}, {pace}, {stride}]
3: the act of changing location by raising the foot and setting it down; "he walked with unsteady steps"
4: support consisting of a place to rest the foot while ascending or descending a stairway; "he paused on the bottom step" [syn: {stair}]
5: relative position in a graded series; "always a step behind"; "subtle gradations in color"; "keep in step with the fashions" [syn: {gradation}]
6: a short distance; "it's only a step to the drugstore" [syn: {stone's throw}]
7: the sound of a step of someone walking; "he heard footsteps on the porch" [syn: {footfall}, {footstep}]
8: a musical interval of two semitones [syn: {tone}, {whole tone}, {whole step}]
9: a mark of a foot or shoe on a surface; "the police made casts of the footprints in the soft earth outside the window" [syn: {footprint}, {footmark}]
10: a solid block joined to the beams in which the heel of a ship's mast or capstan is fixed
11: a sequence of foot movements that make up a particular dance; "he taught them the waltz step" [syn: {dance step}]
verb
1: shift or move by taking a step; "step back"
2: put down or press the foot, place the foot; "For fools rush in where angels fear to tread"; "step on the brake" [syn: {tread}]
3: cause (a computer) to execute a single command
4: treat badly; "This boss abuses his workers"; "She is always stepping on others to get ahead" [syn: {mistreat}, {maltreat}, {abuse}, {ill-use}, {ill-treat}]
5: furnish with steps; "The architect wants to step the terrace"
6: move with one's feet in a specific manner; "step lively"
7: walk a short distance to a specified place or in a specified manner; "step over to the blackboard"
8: place (a ship's mast) in its step
9: measure (distances) by pacing; "step off ten yards" [syn: {pace}]
10: move or proceed as if by steps into a new situation; "She stepped into a life of luxury"; "he won't step into his father's footsteps" [also: {stepping}, {stepped}]
From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:
stepping See {step}
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Definitions retrieved from local copies of the freely distributed DICT client/server software and databases. Click here for database copyright information. - KM |