steppingstone

[ step-ing-stohn ]

noun
  1. a stone, or one of a line of stones, in shallow water, a marshy place, or the like, that is stepped on in crossing.

  2. a stone for use in mounting or ascending.

  1. any means or stage of advancement or improvement: She looked on the governorship as a steppingstone to the presidency.

Origin of steppingstone

1
Middle English word dating back to 1275–1325

Words Nearby steppingstone

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

How to use steppingstone in a sentence

  • The ships going out of port were such a steppingstone to him, and a vague consciousness came back to him of having been in a ship.

    A Simpleton | Charles Reade

British Dictionary definitions for stepping stone

stepping stone

noun
  1. one of a series of stones acting as footrests for crossing streams, marshes, etc

  2. a circumstance that assists progress towards some goal

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