noun
Common
stepping
STEH-pihng
Stepping (noun) means the action of putting one foot in front of the other; walking. Example: “She was stepping carefully across the icy pavement.”
noun
1
The action of putting one foot in front of the other; walking.
"She was stepping carefully across the icy pavement."
"He kept stepping on my toes during the dance."
2
A version number for a CPU model, marking a small revision that fixes bugs or tweaks the design.
"Check which stepping your processor has before you download the firmware update."
"The manufacturer released a newer stepping to correct a flaw in the cache."
"The new stepping fixed a rare crash bug in the older chips."
How to use stepping
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTaking steps — either literally walking, or (in computing) a minor revision of a chip design.
Common pairings
stepping stone
stepping on toes
CPU stepping
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Word forms
- Plural
- steppings
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
She was _____ carefully across the icy pavement.
Etymology
From step plus the -ing suffix, going back to Middle English steppynge.
Synonyms
View more →Related words
Rhymes for stepping
See all rhymes for stepping →Frequently asked questions
What does “stepping” mean?
The word “stepping” means the action of putting one foot in front of the other; walking. In plain terms, taking steps — either literally walking, or (in computing) a minor revision of a chip design.
How do you pronounce “stepping”?
“Stepping” is pronounced STEH-pihng (/ˈstɛpɪŋ/ in IPA).
How do you use “stepping” in a sentence?
Here is “stepping” used in a sentence: “She was stepping carefully across the icy pavement.”
What part of speech is “stepping”?
“Stepping” is a noun.
Where does the word “stepping” come from?
The word “stepping” comes from Middle English. From step plus the -ing suffix, going back to Middle English steppynge.
Is “stepping” a common word?
“Stepping” is a fairly common word in modern English.
How many meanings does “stepping” have?
“Stepping” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: the action of putting one foot in front of the other; walking.
What is the difference between "stepping up" and "stepping down"?
"Stepping up" means taking on more responsibility or rising to a challenge, as in stepping up to lead a team. "Stepping down" means resigning or giving up a position of authority. In the context of roles and responsibility, the two phrases are opposites.
What does "stepping" refer to when talking about CPUs or processors?
In computing, a "stepping" is a version number marking a small revision to a processor design, usually to fix bugs or make minor improvements. A later stepping of the same chip model generally means a more refined version. This technical sense is unrelated to the everyday meaning of walking.
