Step mother

step-pref. Related by means of a remarriage rather than by blood: stepparent.[Middle English, from Old English st?op-.]American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.step- combining form indicating relationship through the previous union of a spouse or parent rather than by blood: stepson; stepfather. [Old English st?op-; compare ?st?pan to bereave]Collins English Dictionary ? Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014step (st?p) n., v. stepped, step?ping. n. 1. a movement made by lifting the foot and setting it down again in a new position, accompanied by a shifting of the body in the direction of the new position, as in walking or dancing. 2. such a movement followed by a movement of equal distance of the other foot. 3. the space passed over or the distance measured by one such movement of the foot. 4. the sound made by the foot in making such a movement. 5. a mark or impression made by the foot on the ground; footprint. 6. the manner of stepping; gait; stride. 7. pace or rhythm in marching: double-quick step. 8. a pace or rhythm uniform with that of another or others, or in time with music. 9. steps, movements or course in stepping or walking: to retrace one’s steps. 10. any of a series of successive stages in a process or the attainment of an end: the five steps to success. 11. rank, degree, or grade, as on a vertical scale. 12. a support for the foot in ascending or descending: the steps of a ladder. 13. a very short distance. 14. a repeated pattern or unit of movement in a dance formed by a combination of foot and body motions. 15. Music. a. a degree of the staff or of the scale. b. the interval between two adjacent scale degrees; second. 16. a socket, frame, or platform for supporting the lower end of a mast. v.i. 17. to move in steps. 18. to walk, esp. for a few strides or a short distance: Step over to the counter. 19. to move with measured steps, as in a dance. 20. to go briskly or fast, as a horse. 21. to come easily and naturally, as if by a step of the foot: to step into a fortune. 22. to put the foot down; tread: Don’t step on the grass. 23. to press with the foot, as on a lever or spring, in order to operate some mechanism. v.t. 24. to take (a step, pace, stride, etc.). 25. to go through or perform the steps of (a dance). 26. to move or set (the foot) in taking a step. 27. to measure (a distance, ground, etc.) by steps (sometimes fol. by off or out). 28. to make or arrange in the manner of a series of steps. 29. to fix (a mast) in its step. 30. step down, a. to lower or decrease by degrees. b. to relinquish one’s authority or control; resign. 31. step in, to become involved; intervene. 32. step out, a. to leave a place, esp. for a short time. b. to walk or march at a more rapid pace. c. to go out socially. 33. step up, a. to raise or increase by degrees. b. to be promoted; advance. c. to make progress; improve. Idioms: 1. break step, to cease or interrupt marching in step. 2. in (or out of) step, a. in (or not in) time to a rhythm or beat, as while marching in unison. b. in (or not in) harmony or agreement with others. 3. keep step, to stay in step; keep pace. 4. step by step, gradually; by stages. 5. step on it or on the gas, Informal. to move more quickly; hurry. 6. take steps, to employ necessary procedures. [before 900; (v.) Old English steppan, c. Old High German stepfen; (n.) Middle English; Old English stepe] step- a prefix used in kinship terms denoting members of a family related by the remarriage of a parent and not by blood: stepbrother. [Old English st?op-, c. Old High German stiof-, Old Norse stj?p-] Random House Kernerman Webster’s College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.

Category: Step mother

Step-mother