Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Step
Step
,Verb.
I.
[
imp. & p. p.
Stepped
; p. pr. & vb. n.
Stepping
.] [AS. & ]
staeppan
; 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. [GREEK] to shake about, handle roughly, stamp (?). Cf. Stamp
, Noun.
Adj.
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 neighbors3.
To walk slowly, gravely, or resolutely.
Home the swain retreats,
His flock before him
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 estateTo 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.
Step
,Verb.
T.
1.
To set, as the foot.
2.
(Naut.)
To fix the foot of (a mast) in its step; to erect.
To step off
, to measure by steps, or paces; hence, to divide, as a space, or to form a series of marks, by successive measurements, as with dividers.
1.
An advance or movement made by one removal of the foot; a pace.
2.
A rest, or one of a set of rests, for the foot in ascending or descending, as a stair, or a round of a ladder.
The breadth of every single
step
or stair should be never less than one foot. Sir H. Wotton.
3.
The space passed over by one movement of the foot in walking or running;
as, one
. Used also figuratively of any kind of progress; step
is generally about three feet, but may be more or lessas, he improved
. step
by step
, or by steps
To derive two or three general principles of motion from phenomena, and afterwards to tell us how the properties and actions of all corporeal things follow from those manifest principles, would be a very great
step
in philosophy. Sir I. Newton.
4.
A small space or distance;
as, it is but a
. step
5.
A print of the foot; a footstep; a footprint; track.
6.
Gait; manner of walking;
as, the approach of a man is often known by his
. step
7.
Proceeding; measure; action; an act.
The reputation of a man depends on the first
steps
he makes in the world. Pope.
Beware of desperate
Live till to-morrow, will have passed away.
steps
. The darkest day,Live till to-morrow, will have passed away.
Cowper.
I have lately taken
steps
. . . to relieve the old gentleman’s distresses. G. W. Cable.
8.
pl.
Walk; passage.
Conduct my
steps
to find the fatal tree. Dryden.
9.
pl.
A portable framework of stairs, much used indoors in reaching to a high position.
10.
(Naut.)
In general, a framing in wood or iron which is intended to receive an upright shaft; specif., a block of wood, or a solid platform upon the keelson, supporting the heel of the mast.
11.
(Mach.)
(a)
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.
(b)
A bearing in which the lower extremity of a spindle or a vertical shaft revolves.
12.
(Mus.)
The intervak between two contiguous degrees of the csale.
☞ 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.
13.
(Kinematics)
A change of position effected by a motion of translation.
W. K. Clifford.
Webster 1828 Edition
Step
STEP
,Verb.
I.
1.
To move the foot; to advance or recede by a movement of the foot or feet; as, to step forward, or to step backward.2.
To go; to walk a little distance; as, to step to one of the neighbors.3.
To walk gravely, slowly or resolutely.Home the swain retreats, his flock before him stepping to the fold.
To step forth, to move or come forth.
To step aside, to walk to a little distance; to retire from company.
To step in or into,
1.
To walk or advance into a place or state; or to advance suddenly in John 5. 2.
To enter for a short time. I just stepped into the house for a moment.3.
To obtain possession without trouble; to enter upon suddenly; as, to step into an estate.To step back, to move mentally; to carry the mind back.
They are stepping almost three thousand years back into the remotest antiquity.
STEP
,Verb.
T.
1.
To set, as the foot.2.
To fix the foot of a mast in the keel; to erect.STEP
,Noun.
1.
A pace; an advance or movement made by one removal of the foot.2.
One remove in ascending or descending; a stair.The breadth of every single step or stair should be neer less than one foot.
3.
The space passed by the foot in walking or running. The step of one foot is generally five feet; it may be more or less.4.
A small space or distance. Let us go to the gardens; it is but a step.5.
The distance between the feet in walking or running.6.
Gradation; degree. We advance improvement step by step, or by steps.7.
Progression; act of advancing.To derive two or three general principles of motion from phenomena, and afterwards tell us how the properties and actions of all corporeal things follow from those manifest principles, could be a great step in philosophy.
8.
Footstep; print or impression of the foot; track.9.
Gait; manner of walking. The approach of a man is often known by his step.10.
Proceeding; measure; action.The reputation of a man depends of the first steps he makes in the world.
11.
The round of a ladder.12.
Steps in the plural, walk; passage.Conduct my steps to find the fatal tree in this deep forest.
13.
Pieces of timber in which the foot of a mast is fixed.