forward. (=to offer to help the police) 2 fml to go a short distance on foot: Step into the house/inside while you're waiting. | Kindly step this way. (=come where I have shown you) 3 [especially on] to bring the foot down; TREAD: She stepped on a loose stone and twisted her ankle. | I stepped in a puddle and got my foot wet. 4 step on it/on the gas infml to go faster 5 step out of line derog to act differently from others or from what is expected → see also SIDESTEP
step down/aside phr v [l(as, in favour of)] to leave one's job, official position etc: The chairman will be 70 next year, and he feels it is time he stepped down (in favour of a younger man).
step in phr v [1] to enter an argument or begin to take action in an affair; INTERVENE: If the dispute gets any worse the government will have to step in.
step out phr v 1 [1] BrE old-fash to start walking fast: Come on! If we step out we'll be there in half an hour. 2 [1] especially AmE to go outside or go somewhere: Molly stepped out but she'll be back soon. 3 [T] step out on AmE infml to be unfaithful to (one's husband or wife)
step sthg. ⇔ up phr v [T] to increase (an amount of something) in size or speed: We're trying to step up production to meet the increased demand.
step- → see WORD FORMATION TABLE
step-brother /ˈstepbrʌðər/ n. a male person whose father
or mother has married one's mother or father
step-child /'steptfaɪld/ n pl. -chil·dren /,tʃɪldren/ a child that one's husband/wife has as a result of an earlier marriage and for whom one has no legal responsibility; a stepson or stepdaughter
step-daugh-ter /'stepdo:ter/ n a female stepchild
step-father /'stepfa:ðər/ n a man one's mother has married who is not one's natural father
Step-ford Wives, The /,stepfad 'warvzll-fard-/ (1975) a HORROR FILM based on a book by Ira Levin, about a group of married women in a US village whose husbands secretly replace them with ROBOTS. The robots look exactly like the women, but they are designed to be interested only in cooking, cleaning their houses, and pleasing their husbands in every way. The phrase is sometimes used to describe women who behave in this way.
Stephenson, George /'sti:vənsən/ (1781–1848) a British engineer who is generally considered to have developed the first steam-powered railway engine. He also built the first public railway to carry passengers in 1825 (the Stockton and Darlington Railway in northern England), and he is known especially for his steam train The Rocket.
Stephenson, Robert /'rɒbətɪl'rɑːbət/ (1803–59) a British engineer, the son of George Stephenson. He continued his father's work on the development of the steam train, and is also known for building bridges, including the railway bridge over the MENAI STRAITS in North Wales.
step·lad·der /'step,lædər/ n a sloping framework of two parts, one of which is like a ladder, which is used in the house for reaching high places and can be folded together for storing
step-moth-er /'stepmʌðər/ n a woman one's father has married who is not one's natural mother
CULTURAL NOTE
In children's stories, especially FAIRY TALES, the stepmother is usually a very evil character who is cruel to her stepchildren (STEPCHILD). Sometimes she is called the 'wicked stepmother' as in the story Cinderella, and sometimes she is actually a WITCH as in the story of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
step·par·ent /'step,peərənt/ n a stepmother or STEPFATHER
steppes /steps/ n [the P] (often cap.) a large area of land without trees, especially that in Russia and parts of Asia and southeast Europe
stepping-stone n 1 any of a row of large stones with a level top, which one walks on to cross a river or stream 2 [(to)] a way of improvement or gaining success: Are good exam results a stepping-stone to a well-paid career?
\textbf{steps /steps/ n [P] 1 a number or set of STEPs}, usually outside and made of stone: She climbed the flight of steps to the door | the church steps → compare STAIRS. STAIRCASE 2 BrE for STEPLADDER → see PAIR (USAGE)
\textbf{step·sis·ter /'stepisister/ n a female person whose father or mother has married one's mother or father}
\textbf{step·son /'stepʌn/ n a male STEPCHILD}
Step-toe and Son /'steptəu and sən/ (1962–74) a famous British television COMEDY programme about Albert Steptoe and his son Harold who work as RAG-AND-BONE-MEN in London
ster·e·o¹ /'steriəu, 'stɪər-/ n pl. -os 1 also stereo system [C] a machine for playing CDs, CASSETTES etc that produces sound from two separate SPEAKERS 2 [U] stereo sound: This programme is being broadcast in stereo.
stereo² also ster·e·o·phon·ic /,sterie'fonik·, stier-l-'fa:-/ fml — adj using a system of sound recording, broadcasting, or receiving in which the sound comes from two different places, to give an effect of greater reality: a stereo recording | a stereo record player → compare MONO, QUADRA-PHONIC
Stereophonics, the /,sterie'foniks, /stier-l-'far-/ a British rock group from Wales whose records include Performance and Cocktails and You Gotta Go There To Come Back
ster·e·o·scop·ic /,steriə'skopik·\|-'skɑː-/ adj seen or seeing (as if) with depth and distance, rather than as a flat picture: stereoscopic vision
'stereo ,system n AmE for MUSIC CENTRE
ster·e·o·type¹ /'steriətaɪp/ n [(of] usually derog (someone or something that represents) a fixed set of ideas about what a particular type of person or thing is like, which is (wrongly) believed to be true in all cases: She believes that she is not a good mother because she does not fit the stereotype of a woman who spends all her time with her children. | The characters in the film are just stereotypes, with no individuality. | racial stereotypes —typical /,steriəˈtɪpɪkəl/ adj
stereotype² v [T] derog to have, show, or encourage a fixed and usually incorrect idea of what (someone or something) is like; regard as an example of a general type: It's wrong to stereotype people as if they were all alike. | a stereotyped view of teachers | stereotyped answers
sterile /'steraɪl-rəl/ adj 1 [no comp.] (of a living thing) unable to produce young: Because of exposure to dangerous radiation, the woman had become sterile. → compare FERTILE 2 free from all harmful bacteria and similar extremely small living things: An operating theatre should be a sterile environment. 3 (of land) unable to produce crops 4 derog (of ideas or speech) lacking new thought, imagination etc —ility /stəˈrɪlʌti/ n [U]
ster-il-ize also -ise BrE /'sterəlaiz/ v [T] to make STERILE (1,2): to have the cat sterilized | Have these instruments been sterilized, nurse? | sterilized milk —izer n —ization /,sterəlaɪ'zeɪʃənl-lə-/ n [U]
ster·ling¹ /'stɜːlɪŋ|-ɜːr-/ n [U] tech the type of money used in Britain, based on the pound (£): The value/strength of sterling has risen. | sterling traveller's cheques | [after n] the pound sterling (=the British pound)
sterling² adj [A] 1 [no comp.] tech (of gold and especially silver) of a fixed standard of pureness 2 fml of the highest standard, especially in being loyal, dependable, and brave: We all admire her sterling qualities. | a sterling effort
stern $ ^{1} $ /st3:n‖st3:rn/ adj 1 showing firmness and severity: a stern teacher | stern discipline 2 showing displeasure or disapproval: a stern look/rebuke —ly adv —ness n [U]
stern² n the back part of a ship → compare BOW
Stern, David (1942-) an official who became the COMMISSIONER of the National Basketball Association in the US in 1984. He also helped begin the Women's National Basketball Association in 1997.
Stern, Howard (1954-) a US radio talk show HOST who is famous for trying to shock and offend the people who listen to and call his show. The name 'shock jock' was invented to describe what he does.
Stern, Isaac (1920–2001) a US VIOLIN player, born in Russia
Sterne, Laurence /st3:n‖st3:rn, 'lbrəns‖'lo:-/ (1713–68)
an Irish writer, best known for his humorous novel TRIS-
TRAM SHANDY, one of the earliest novels in English. His style
influenced later writers who used the STREAM OF CONSCIOUS-
NESS method.