Home the swain retreats,
His flock before him stepping to the fold. Thomson.

They are stepping almost three thousand years back into the remotest antiquity. Pope.

To step aside, to walk a little distance from the rest; to retire from company. -- To step forth, to move or come forth. -- To step in or into. (a) To walk or advance into a place or state, or to advance suddenly in.

Whosoever then first, after the troubling of the water, stepped in, was made whole of whatsoever disease he had. John v. 4.

(b) To enter for a short time; as, I just stepped into the house. (c) To obtain possession without trouble; to enter upon easily or suddenly; as, to step into an estate. -- To step out. (a) (Mil.) To increase the length, but not the rapidity, of the step, extending it to thirty-tree inches. (b) To go out for a short distance or a short time. -- To step short (Mil.), to diminish the length or rapidity of the step according to the established rules.

To step off, to measure by steps, or paces; hence, to divide, as a space, or to form a series of marks, by successive measurements, as with dividers.

The breadth of every single step or stair should be never less than one foot. Sir H. Wotton.

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. Sir I. Newton.

The reputation of a man depends on the first steps he makes in the world. Pope.

Beware of desperate steps. The darkest day,
Live till to-morrow, will have passed away. Cowper.

I have lately taken steps . . . to relieve the old gentleman's distresses. G. W. Cable.

Conduct my steps to find the fatal tree. Dryden.

* 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.

Back step, Half step, etc. See under Back, Half, etc. -- Step grate, a form of grate for holding fuel, in which the bars rise above one another in the manner of steps. -- To take steps, to take action; to move in a matter.