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Step vs. Stairs — What's the Difference?

Difference Between Step and Stairs

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Definitions

Step

The single complete movement of raising one foot and putting it down in another spot, as in walking.

Stairs

Stairs, a stairway, a staircase, a stairwell, or a flight of stairs is a construction designed to bridge a large vertical distance by dividing it into smaller vertical distances, called steps. Stairs may be straight, round, or may consist of two or more straight pieces connected at angles.

Step

A manner of walking; a particular gait.

Stairs

Often stairs A series or flight of steps; a staircase.

Step

A fixed rhythm or pace, as in marching
Keep step.
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Stairs

One of a flight of steps.

Step

The sound of a footstep.

Stairs

Plural of stair

Step

A footprint
Steps in the mud.

Stairs

A contiguous set of steps connecting two floors.
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Step

The distance traversed by moving one foot ahead of the other.

Stairs

A way of access consisting of a set of steps

Step

A very short distance
Just a step away.

Step

Steps Course; path
Turned her steps toward home.

Step

One of a series of rhythmical, patterned movements of the feet used in a dance
Diagrammed the basic steps to the mambo.

Step

A rest for the foot in ascending or descending.

Step

Steps Stairs.

Step

Something, such as a ledge or an offset, that resembles a step of a stairway.

Step

A low platform used for exercise, as in step aerobics.

Step

One of a series of actions, processes, or measures taken to achieve a goal.

Step

A stage in a process
Followed every step in the instructions.

Step

A degree in progress or a grade or rank in a scale
A step up in the corporate hierarchy.

Step

The interval that separates two successive tones of a scale, especially a major second, as between C and D in the scale of C major.

Step

A degree of a scale.

Step

(Nautical) The block in which the heel of a mast is fixed.

Step

To put or press the foot
Step on the brake.

Step

To shift or move slightly by taking a step or two
Step back.

Step

To walk a short distance to a specified place or in a specified direction
Step over to the corner.

Step

To move with the feet in a particular manner
Step lively.

Step

To move into a new situation by or as if by taking a single step
Stepping into a life of ease.

Step

To treat someone with arrogant indifference
He is always stepping on other people.

Step

To put or set (the foot) down
Step foot on land.

Step

To measure by pacing
Step off ten yards.

Step

To furnish with steps; make steps in
Terraces that are stepped along the hillside.

Step

(Computers) To cause (a computer) to execute a single instruction.

Step

(Nautical) To place (a mast) in its step.

Step

An advance or movement made from one foot to the other; a pace.

Step

A rest, or one of a set of rests, for the foot in ascending or descending, as a stair, or a rung of a ladder.

Step

The part of a spade, digging stick or similar tool that a digger's foot rests against and presses on when digging; an ear, a foot-rest.

Step

A distinct part of a process; stage; phase.
He improved step by step, or by steps.
The first step is to find a job.

Step

A running board where passengers step to get on and off the bus.
The driver must have a clear view of the step in order to prevent accidents.

Step

The space passed over by one movement of the foot in walking or running.
One step is generally about three feet, but may be more or less.

Step

A small space or distance.
It is but a step.

Step

A print of the foot; a footstep; a footprint; track.

Step

A gait; manner of walking.
The approach of a man is often known by his step.

Step

Proceeding; measure; action; act.

Step

(in the plural) A walk; passage.

Step

(in the plural) A portable framework of stairs, much used indoors in reaching to a high position.

Step

(nautical) A framing in wood or iron which is intended to receive an upright shaft; specifically, a block of wood, or a solid platform upon the keelson, supporting the heel of the mast.

Step

(machines) One of a series of offsets, or parts, resembling the steps of stairs, as one of the series of parts of a cone pulley on which the belt runs.

Step

(machines) A bearing in which the lower extremity of a spindle or a vertical shaft revolves.

Step

(music) The interval between two contiguous degrees of the scale.
Usage note: The word tone is often used as the name of this interval; but there is evident incongruity in using tone for indicating the interval between tones. As the word scale is derived from the Italian scala, a ladder, the intervals may well be called steps.

Step

(kinematics) A change of position effected by a motion of translation.

Step

(programming) A constant difference between consecutive values in a series.
Printing from 0 to 9 with a step of 3 will display 0, 3, 6 and 9.

Step

(colloquial) A stepchild.

Step

(slang) A stepsibling.

Step

(intransitive) 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.

Step

(intransitive) To walk; to go on foot; especially, to walk a little distance.
To step to one of the neighbors

Step

(intransitive) To walk slowly, gravely, or resolutely.

Step

To dance.

Step

To move mentally; to go in imagination.

Step

(transitive) To set, as the foot.

Step

To fix the foot of (a mast) in its step; to erect.

Step

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.

Step

To walk; to go on foot; esp., to walk a little distance; as, to step to one of the neighbors.

Step

To walk slowly, gravely, or resolutely.
Home the swain retreats,His flock before him stepping to the fold.

Step

Fig.: To move mentally; to go in imagination.
They are stepping almost three thousand years back into the remotest antiquity.
Whosoever then first, after the troubling of the water, stepped in, was made whole of whatsoever disease he had.

Step

To set, as the foot.

Step

To fix the foot of (a mast) in its step; to erect.

Step

An advance or movement made by one removal of the foot; a pace.

Step

A rest, or one of a set of rests, for the foot in ascending or descending, as a stair, or a round of a ladder.
The breadth of every single step or stair should be never less than one foot.

Step

The space passed over by one movement of the foot in walking or running; as, one step is generally about three feet, but may be more or less. Used also figuratively of any kind of progress; as, he improved step by step, or by steps.
To derive two or three general principles of motion from phenomena, and afterwards to tell us how the properties and actions of all corporeal things follow from those manifest principles, would be a very great step in philosophy.

Step

A small space or distance; as, it is but a step.

Step

A print of the foot; a footstep; a footprint; track.

Step

Gait; manner of walking; as, the approach of a man is often known by his step.

Step

Proceeding; measure; action; an act.
The reputation of a man depends on the first steps he makes in the world.
Beware of desperate steps. The darkest day,Live till to-morrow, will have passed away.
I have lately taken steps . . . to relieve the old gentleman's distresses.

Step

Walk; passage.
Conduct my steps to find the fatal tree.

Step

A portable framework of stairs, much used indoors in reaching to a high position.

Step

In general, a framing in wood or iron which is intended to receive an upright shaft; specif., a block of wood, or a solid platform upon the keelson, supporting the heel of the mast.

Step

One of a series of offsets, or parts, resembling the steps of stairs, as one of the series of parts of a cone pulley on which the belt runs.

Step

The intervak between two contiguous degrees of the csale.

Step

A change of position effected by a motion of translation.

Step

At Eton College, England, a shallow step dividing the court into an inner and an outer portion.

Step

Any maneuver made as part of progress toward a goal;
The situation called for strong measures
The police took steps to reduce crime

Step

The distance covered by a step;
He stepped off ten paces from the old tree and began to dig

Step

The act of changing location by raising the foot and setting it down;
He walked with unsteady steps

Step

Support consisting of a place to rest the foot while ascending or descending a stairway;
He paused on the bottom step

Step

Relative position in a graded series;
Always a step behind
Subtle gradations in color
Keep in step with the fashions

Step

A short distance;
It's only a step to the drugstore

Step

The sound of a step of someone walking;
He heard footsteps on the porch

Step

A musical interval of two semitones

Step

A mark of a foot or shoe on a surface;
The police made casts of the footprints in the soft earth outside the window

Step

A solid block joined to the beams in which the heel of a ship's mast or capstan is fixed

Step

A sequence of foot movements that make up a particular dance;
He taught them the waltz step

Step

Shift or move by taking a step;
Step back

Step

Put down or press the foot, place the foot;
For fools rush in where angels fear to tread
Step on the brake

Step

Cause (a computer) to execute a single command

Step

Treat badly;
This boss abuses his workers
She is always stepping on others to get ahead

Step

Furnish with steps;
The architect wants to step the terrace

Step

Move with one's feet in a specific manner;
Step lively

Step

Walk a short distance to a specified place or in a specified manner;
Step over to the blackboard

Step

Place (a ship's mast) in its step

Step

Measure (distances) by pacing;
Step off ten yards

Step

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

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