the act of changing location by raising the foot and setting it down
"he walked with unsteady steps"
a musical interval of two semitones
"The pianist played a perfect fifth, which consists of seven steps within the chromatic scale."
a solid block joined to the beams in which the heel of a ship's mast or capstan is fixed
"The old sailor carefully positioned his heavy boot on the worn step before hauling the mainsail up against the morning wind."
a sequence of foot movements that make up a particular dance
"he taught them the waltz step"
An advance or movement made from one foot to the other; a pace.
"She took a quick step forward as the bus pulled away from the curb."
In plain English: A step is a single movement you make with your foot when walking or running.
"He took a careful step forward to avoid the puddle."
cause (a computer) to execute a single command
"Please step through that script line by line so we can see exactly where the error occurs."
walk a short distance to a specified place or in a specified manner
"step over to the blackboard"
place (a ship's mast) in its step
"The carpenter carefully lowered the mainmast into its designated step to secure it against the storm."
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"
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.
"She paused to take a careful step on the icy patch before continuing down the path."
In plain English: To step is to lift your foot and put it down on the ground to move forward.
"He stepped over the puddle to get to the other side of the road."
Usage: Use this verb when describing the physical act of lifting a foot during movement rather than jumping. It is often confused with "step on," which specifically means placing weight upon something, so choose carefully based on whether you are emphasizing motion or contact.
Initialism of Smart Traveler Enrollment Program.
"Before departing for my study abroad semester, I made sure to register on STEP to stay connected with the embassy while overseas."
The word "step" comes from Old English words meaning to take a step or move forward. It ultimately traces back to an ancient root that originally meant to support, stomp, or even express amazement.