step: [OE] Step, together with its relatives German stapfen and Dutch steppen, comes from a prehistoric West Germanic base *stap- ‘tread’ (a nasalized version of which produced English stamp). (Russian step, source of English steppe [17], is not related.) The prefix step- [OE], as in stepdaughter, stepfather, etc, originated in a word meaning ‘orphan’. It is related to Old High German stiufen ‘bereave’. => stamp
step (v.)
Old English steppan (Anglian), stæppan (West Saxon) "take a step," from West Germanic *stap- "tread" (cognates: Old Frisian stapa, Middle Dutch, Dutch stappen, Old High German stapfon, German stapfen "step"), from PIE root *stebh- "post, stem; to support, place firmly on" (see staff (n.); cognates: Old Church Slavonic stopa "step, pace," stepeni "step, degree"). The notion is perhaps "a treading firmly on; a foothold."
Transitive sense (as in step foot in) attested from 1530s. Related: Stepped; stepping. Originally strong (past tense stop, past participle bestapen); weak forms emerged 13c., universal from 16c. To step out "leave for a short time" is from 1530s; meaning "to go out in public in style" is from 1907. Step on it "hurry up" is 1923, from notion of gas pedal.
step (n.)
Old English steppa (Mercian), stæpe, stepe (West Saxon) "stair, act of stepping," from the source of step (v.). Compare Old Frisian, Middle Dutch, Dutch stap, Old High German stapfo, German Stapfe "footstep"). From late Old English as "degree on a scale." Figurative meaning "action which leads toward a result" is recorded from 1540s. In dancing, from 1670s. Meaning "type of military pace" is from 1798. Warning phrase watch your step is attested from 1911. Step by step indicating steady progression is from 1580s. To follow in (someone's) steps is from mid-13c.
双语例句
1. If no agreement was reached, the army would step in.
如果无法达成协议，军队将会介入。
来自柯林斯例句
2. A little girl was sitting on the step of the end house.
一个小女孩正坐在最顶头那幢房子门前的平台上。
来自柯林斯例句
3. The government took another step on the road to political reform.
政府在实现政治改革的路上又迈进了一步。
来自柯林斯例句
4. This is an important step toward lower interest rates.
