Step-

Origin

From Middle English step-, from Old English stēop- ("deprived of a relative, step-", prefix.), from Proto-Germanic *steupa- ("orphaned, step-"), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)teup- ("to push, strike").

Cognate with , , Dutch stief- ("step-"), , German stief- ("step-"), Swedish styv- ("step-"), Icelandic stjúp- ("step-"). Related to Old English stīepan ("to deprive, bereave"). Not, however, related to the familiar English noun or verb step.

Full definition of step-

Prefix

1. A prefix used before father, mother, brother, sister, son, daughter, child, and so forth, to indicate that the person being identified is not a blood relative but is related through the marriage of a parent.

Derived terms

Anagrams