half step
noun
half step
Americannoun
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Music. semitone.
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Military. a step 15 inches (38 centimeters) long in quick time and 18 inches (46 centimeters) long in double time.
half-step
British
noun
Etymology
Origin of half step
First recorded in 1900–05
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
I’m a half step away from calling the animal communicator.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 3, 2024
During the man advantage, Nashville’s Colton Sissons had a half step on Seattle’s Eeli Tolvanen and Vince Dunn.
From Seattle Times ● Oct. 12, 2023
This is a half step where a whole step is needed.
From Salon ● Sep. 1, 2023
Woods nearly collapsed into the sand, but quickly used a golf club and a half step with his left leg to remain upright.
From New York Times ● May 21, 2022
Start with pieces written in C, and play them only a half step or whole step lower or higher than written.
From "Understanding Basic Music Theory" by Catherine Schmidt-Jones and Russel Jones
Even the surprising, gratifying wins like Madigan’s and Jordan’s feel as though they’re a mere half-step in the ceremony’s larger context.
From Salon ● Mar. 16, 2026
Todd Blanche, Mr. Trump’s lead lawyer, stood a half-step behind, mimicking his client’s scowl.
From New York Times ● May 30, 2024
Palestinian analyst Talal Okal said the diplomatic appointment was a half-step toward an official Saudi representation office in the occupied West Bank.
From Reuters ● Aug. 12, 2023
For every step forward, there was at least a half-step back.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 2, 2023
As with all pitched warm-ups, start at the bottom of the range and move up in half-step increments and then back down.
From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
