step-in

[ step-in ]

adjective
  1. (of garments, shoes, etc.) put on by being stepped into.

noun
  1. step-ins, panties, especially bias-cut panties with wide legs worn by women in the 1920s and 1930s.

  2. any step-in garment.

Origin of step-in

1
First recorded in 1920–25; adj., noun use of verb phrase step in

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use step-in in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for step in

step in

verb
  1. (intr, adverb) informal to intervene or involve oneself, esp dramatically or at a senior level

adjectivestep-in
  1. (prenominal) (of garments, etc) put on by being stepped into; without fastenings

  2. (of a ski binding) engaging automatically when the boot is positioned on the ski

nounstep-in
  1. (often plural) a step-in garment, esp underwear

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with step-in

step-in

Enter into an activity or situation; also, intervene. For example, The business was doing poorly until Stan stepped in, or They are going to make a mess of the mailing unless someone steps in and shows them what to do. [Late 1400s] Also see step into.

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.