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stepping

n.
US //ˈstɛpɪŋ// UK //stˈɛpɪŋ// step·ping
  1. 1 the act of a step (n.)
    B1 Intermediate

    the physical act of taking a step.

    the action of taking a step or the sound produced by it.

    Example

    The stepping of the soldiers could be heard from a mile away.

    Example

    The rhythmic stepping of the marchers echoed through the narrow streets, creating a steady pulse that dominated the morning air.

  2. 2 dance style (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate American English

    a style of dance where you use your feet and hands to make loud, complex rhythms.

    a percussive dance form, primarily African-American, using the body as an instrument through footsteps, claps, and spoken word.

    Example

    The university team won the national competition for stepping.

    Example

    The performance featured intricate stepping sequences that required perfect synchronisation between the twenty dancers on stage.

    • step dance
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  1. 3 processor version (n.)
    C2 Proficiency Technical Computing

    a specific version or update of a computer's brain (the CPU).

    an iteration or revision level of a microprocessor design, often identifying fixed bugs or minor feature changes.

    Example

    The new stepping of the processor runs much cooler than the first version.

    Example

    The system administrator checked the CPU stepping to ensure the hardware was compatible with the latest security patch for speculative execution vulnerabilities.

Origin

From Middle English steppynge; equivalent to step + -ing.

Idioms3 entries

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