From Old English 'stæpe' (footstep), from PIE *stebh- (to tread firmly) — related to stamp and stomp.
An act of lifting and setting down the foot; a stage in a process.
From Old English 'stæpe' meaning 'a step, footstep,' from Proto-Germanic *stapiz (step), from PIE *stebh- (to stamp, tread). Related to 'stamp' and 'stomp.' Key roots: *stebh- (PIE: "to stamp, tread firmly").