step-in
[ step-in ]
/ ˈstɛpˌɪn /
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adjective
(of garments, shoes, etc.) put on by being stepped into.
noun
step-ins, panties, especially bias-cut panties with wide legs worn by women in the 1920s and 1930s.
any step-in garment.
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Origin of step-in
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. 2023
How to use step-in in a sentence
But Donovan said the Heritage Foundation might ask its political allies to step-in on the issue of birth control regulations.
Anno Domini 166, the deane of Exon dyed, and then it was his right to step-in next to the deanry.
Brief Lives (Vol. 2 of 2)|John Aubrey
British Dictionary definitions for step-in
step in
verb
(intr, adverb) informal to intervene or involve oneself, esp dramatically or at a senior level
adjective step-in
(prenominal) (of garments, etc) put on by being stepped into; without fastenings
(of a ski binding) engaging automatically when the boot is positioned on the ski
noun step-in
(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.