step

Universal Words noun, verb noun movement / sound 1 [C] the act of lifting your foot and putting it down in order to walk or move somewhere; the sound this makes: a baby's first steps * He took a step towards the door. * We heard steps outside. seealsoFOOTSTEP, GOOSE-STEP way of walking 2 [C,usually sing.] the way that sb walks: He walked with a quick light step. * There was a smile on her face and a spring in her step. distance 3 [C] the distance that you cover when you take a step: It's only a few steps further. * He turned around and retraced his steps (= went back the way he had come). * She moved a step closer to me. * The hotel is only a short step from the beach. in series / process 4 [C] one of a series of things that you do in order to achieve sth: This was a first step towards a united Europe. * We are taking steps to prevent pollution. * This won't solve the problem but it's a step in the right direction. * The new drug is a major step forward in the treatment of the disease. * Closing the factory would be a retrograde step. 5 [C] one of a series of things that sb does or that happen, which forms part of a process SYNSTAGE: Having completed the first stage, you can move on to step 2. * I'd like to take this idea a step further. * This was a big step up (= to a better position) in his career. * I'll explain it to you step by step. * a step-by-step guide to building your own home stair 6 [C] a surface that you put your foot on in order to walk to a higher or lower level, especially one of a series: She was sitting on the bottom step of the staircase. * We walked down some stone steps to the beach. * A short flight of steps led up to the door. seealsoDOORSTEP in dance 7 [C,usually pl.] a series of movements that you make with your feet and which form a dance: Do you know the steps of this dance? seealsoQUICKSTEP exercise 8 [U] (often in compounds) a type of exercise that you do by stepping on and off a raised piece of equipment: step aerobics * a step class ladder 9 (steps) [pl.] (BrE) a STEPLADDER: a pair of steps * We need the steps to get into the attic. in music 10 [C] (AmE) the interval between two notes that are next to each other in a scale compareTONE(7), SEMITONE IDIOMS break step to change the way you are walking so that you do not walk in the same rhythm as the people you are walking or marching with: The soldiers turned without once breaking step. fall into step (beside / with sb) (written) to change the way you are walking so that you start walking in the same rhythm as the person you are walking with: He caught her up and fell into step beside her. in / out of step (with sb/sth) 1 putting your feet on the ground in the right/wrong way, according to the rhythm of the music or the people you are moving with: I found myself marching in step with the music. 2 having ideas that are the same as or different from other people's: She was out of step with her colleagues. mind / watch your step 1 to walk carefully 2 to behave in a careful and sensible way: You'd better watch your step with him if you don't want trouble. a / one step ahead (of sb/sth) when you are one step ahead of sb/sth, you manage to avoid them or to achieve sth more quickly than they do verb (-pp-) [V+adv./prep.] to lift your foot and move it in a particular direction or put it on or in sth; to move a short distance: to step onto / off a bus * I stepped forward when my name was called out. * She stepped aside to let them pass. * We stepped carefully over the broken glass. * I turned around quickly and stepped on his toes. * She opened the door and stepped out into the sunshine. * (figurative) Going into the hotel is like stepping back in time. IDIOMS step into the breach to do sb's job or work when they are suddenly or unexpectedly unable to do it step into sb's shoes to continue a job or the work that sb else has started: She stepped into her father's shoes when he retired. step on it (spoken) used especially in orders to tell sb to drive faster step on sb's toes (AmE) = tread on sb's toes at TOEn. step out of line