Step
/stɛp/noun
To move by lifting and setting down one foot, or a single movement in a process or sequence.
Did you know?English step comes from a very old Germanic root meaning “to step or tread,” and that same ancient family also gave us words for walking, treading, and even the idea of making a path.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*stebʰ-
“to step, tread”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*stap- / *stapjaną
“to step, tread; to make step-by-step movement”
Old English
OE
stæppan
“to step, tread”
Middle English
ME
steppen
“to step, walk, go”
Modern English
English
step
“to move by lifting and setting down a foot; a single stage in a process”