►                   STAIR fi Rfr 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 7        : She was sitting on the bottom

step of the staircase. ffi—fit$ ± „ 0 We

walked down some stone steps to the beach. ft ill £ 7 Jl Wl7 |5ft,        'J 'MW t o O A short flight of steps led up to

the door. ± /Ifig T.H P o . — picture o ladder

—                 see also doorstep n.{l)

►                   IN DANCE M W:: 7 [C, usually pi.] a series of movements that you make with your feet and which form a dance If— see also quickstep

►                   EXERCISE M % kc 8 [U] (often in compounds

-p^) a type of exercise that you do by stepping on and off a raised piece of equipment    : step aerobics

o a Step class

►                   LADDER 9 steps [pi.] {BrE) a stepladder

7: a pair of steps       0 We need the steps to get

into the attic,     t&0

►                   IN MUSIC 7 '>f; 10 [C] (NAmE) the interval between two

notes that are next to each other in a scale 7      ; Jft;

—                 compare tone n.{7), semitone

ITiTTl 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 ft lift-ft; fall into step (beside/with sb) to change the way you are walking so that you start walking in the same rhythm as the person you are walking with ( A ) If ±ft ft* He caught her up and fell into step

beside her.        Sfl7#&(7ft7ftituft0 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 ( ftl^A ) ft

ft-a (); x i ifw (  )

2 having ideas that are the same as or different from other people’s ( ffl^A ) *Jl?A“S ( |St ) : She

was out of step with her colleagues. M ffl fs] 3pf111 i® ift 7 — #0 mind/watch your 'step 1 to walk carefully ft[?& f/Kft 2 to behave in a careful and sensible way ]lfff7 ftiltH one step .forward, two steps 'back (saying) used to say that every time you make progress, sth bad happens that means that the situation is worse than before j® — ft, iIMft a/one step a'head (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 jgft ( * A );$&&< £A m&m® ) -ft

a/one step at a time when you do sth one step at a time you do it slowly and gradually -ft—ft; jEft;

mmm

» 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 15 ft; gfc; {£§; 7ft: to step onto/off a bus Jn / T A A A A 0 I stepped forward when my name was called out.      o She

stepped aside to let them pass. MlXjiy— jAftftMliftAo 0 We stepped carefully over the broken glass. ftflAbftflJt i&A#3$i|§±.ft 7MAo 0 I turned around quickly and stepped on his toes.fTffeMJHAb. o (figurative) Going into the hotel is like stepping back in time.        SMfcji Hlf!] 7tic ITOftl step into

the breach to do sb’s job or work when they are suddenly or unexpectedly unable to do it •7ft; ll&ftfMife step into sb’s 'shoes to continue a job or the work that sb else has started if SAMI# 'step on it (informal) used especially in orders to tell sb to drive faster ( Aft     jjnilA')£

step on sb’s 'toes (NAmE) = tread on sb’s toes at tread v. step out of line | be/get out of line to behave badly or break the rules A317&F;;

M $1; ft       .step a side/'down to leave an

important job or position and let sb else take your place iirft; i!ft .step 'back (from sth) to think about a situation calmly, as if you are not involved in it your­self®^ (     ) ffl7^#fpi]@: We are learning to

step back from ourselves and identify our strengths and weaknesses. ft #]±E ^J] ^ £ift ft £. ft$] M, iA ft if] S     .step forward to offer to help sb

or give information ftsft&ftA <   ) ; £

.step ’in to help sb in a disagreement or difficult

situation B |WJ iHf£; B A ^ M; MAW 7: A local busi­nessman stepped in with a large donation for the school.

Aftffi$7-A^ifc^;«o o The team coach was forced to step in to stop the two athletes from coming to blows, js PA it % 7 # 7 it A, ft {£

.step 'out (especially NAmE) to go out ft A: I’m just going to step out for a few minutes, ft ftftI-7^-JL0 .step 'up to come forward ft±Buft: She stepped up to receive her prize. M 7 ± HU A ^ ^ 0 .step sth~'up to increase the amount, speed, etc. of sth  ( Wilt, 31®^ ) : He has stepped up his

training to prepare for the race. jtfcA  Lt     ® 7

ilil^o

step- /step-/ combining form (in nouns 7l A A 7]) related as a result of one parent marrying again ( H

) M-: stepmother

step-brother /’stepbrA69(r)/ noun the son from an earlier marriage of your stepmother or stepfather

►                   compare half-brother

'step change noun [usually sing.] (8r£) a big change or improvement in sth.g; A^ft;      ) :

His speech called for a step change in attitudes to the environment in the 21st century. ^ 21

step-child /'steptjaild/ noun {pi. step-chil-dren /-tjildran/) a child of your husband or wife by an earlier marriage

m7; Mic

stepdaugh ter /'stepdo:ta(r)/ noun a daughter that your husband or wife has from an earlier marriage to another person ^ A

step-fam ily /'stepfaemali/ noun {pi. -ies) the family that is formed when sb marries a person who already has children ^7:^1

step-father /'stepfa:5a(r)/ noun the man who is married to your mother but who is not your real father Step-ford wife /.stepfad 'waif; NAmE -fard/ noun a woman who does not behave or think in an inde­pendent way, always following the accepted rules of society and obeying her husband without thinking fgflA^7 <

A A ) : She’s gradually turning into a Stepford wife. Mi -          From the title

of the book and film/movie The Stepford Wives, in which a group of women who behave in this way are in fact

robots.       «»rMttw*7in», m#

A^AA^AmtlA,

step-lad der /'steplaeda(r)/ noun a short ladder that is made of two parts, one with steps, that are joined together at the top, so that it can stand on its own or be folded flat for carrying or storing #f $5 ; $17

►                   picture o ladder

step-mother /'stepmAda(r)/ noun the woman who is married to your father but who is not your real mother

MM

step-ney /'stepni/ noun {IndE) a spare wheel for a car

(

'step-parent noun a stepmother or stepfather M#;

mx

steppe /step/ noun [C, usually pi., U] a large area of land with grass but few trees, especially in SE Europe and Siberia (       W ) A^JK, 7¥

IF.: the vast Russian steppes xI|is]#J 7 Fr A 7l7 'stepping stone noun 1 one of a line of flat stones that you step on in order to cross a stream or river ( /J' M, 777 'EM ) M A 2 something that allows you to make progress or begin to achieve sth     HP

7;     : cl stepping stone to a more lucrative career

M#rnrt

step-sis-ter /'stepsista(r)/ noun the daughter from an earlier marriage of your stepmother or stepfather

Mm, MM ( )

►                   compare half-sister

step-son /'stepsAn/ noun a son that your husband or wife has from an earlier marriage to another person

ai7