step-

US, UK/stɛp-/

prefix

A prefix used before father, mother, brother, sister, son, daughter, child, and so forth, to indicate that the person being identified is not a blood relative but is related through the marriage of a parent.

OriginMiddle English step- ← Old English stēop- ← Proto-West Germanic *steupa- →
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Meanings

prefix
  1. A prefix used before father, mother, brother, sister, son, daughter, child, and so forth, to indicate that the person being identified is not a blood relative but is related through the marriage of a parent.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*(s)tewp-“to push, strike”
  2. Proto-Germanic*steupa-“orphaned, step-”
  3. Proto-West Germanic*steupa-
  4. Old Englishstēop-“deprived of a relative, step-”
  5. Middle Englishstep-
  6. Englishstep-

From Middle English step-, from Old English stēop- (“deprived of a relative, step-”, prefix), from Proto-West Germanic *steupa-, from Proto-Germanic *steupa- (“orphaned, step-”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)tewp- (“to push, strike”). Cognate with Scots step- (“step-”), West Frisian stiep- (“step-”), Dutch stief- (“step-”), Low German steef- (“step-”), German stief- (“step-”), Swedish styv- (“step-”), Icelandic stjúp- (“step-”). Related to Old English stīepan (“to deprive, bereave”). Not, however, related to the familiar English noun or verb step.

More words from Middle English, Old English, Proto-West Germanic

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Catalan -astre
  • -astreprefix used to indicate that the person being identified is not a blood relative
Chinese Mandarin 后, 表
  • 后 (hòu)prefix used to indicate that the person being identified is not a blood relative
  • 表 (biǎo)prefix used to indicate that the person being identified is not a blood relative
Danish bonus-, sted-
  • bonus-prefix used to indicate that the person being identified is not a blood relative
  • sted-prefix used to indicate that the person being identified is not a blood relative
  • pap-prefix used to indicate that the person being identified is not a blood relative
  • plastic-prefix used to indicate that the person being identified is not a blood relative
Dutch stief-
  • stief-prefix used to indicate that the person being identified is not a blood relative
Finnish -puoli (e.g. velipuoli)
  • -puoli (e.g. velipuoli)prefix used to indicate that the person being identified is not a blood relative
French beau-, bel-
  • beau-prefix used to indicate that the person being identified is not a blood relative
  • bel-prefix used to indicate that the person being identified is not a blood relative
  • belle-prefix used to indicate that the person being identified is not a blood relative
German stief-
  • stief-prefix used to indicate that the person being identified is not a blood relative
Hebrew חורג, חורגת
  • חורג (chorég)prefix used to indicate that the person being identified is not a blood relative
  • חורגת (choréget)prefix used to indicate that the person being identified is not a blood relative
Hindi सौतेला, सौतेली
  • सौतेला (sautelā)prefix used to indicate that the person being identified is not a blood relative
  • सौतेली (sautelī)prefix used to indicate that the person being identified is not a blood relative
Icelandic stjúp-
  • stjúp-prefix used to indicate that the person being identified is not a blood relative
Indonesian tiri
  • tiriprefix used to indicate that the person being identified is not a blood relative
Irish leas-
  • leas-prefix used to indicate that the person being identified is not a blood relative
Italian -astro, astra
  • -astroprefix used to indicate that the person being identified is not a blood relative
  • astraprefix used to indicate that the person being identified is not a blood relative
  • -astraprefix used to indicate that the person being identified is not a blood relative
Malay tiri
  • tiriprefix used to indicate that the person being identified is not a blood relative
Māori whakaangi
  • whakaangiprefix used to indicate that the person being identified is not a blood relative
Norwegian Bokmål ste-
  • ste-prefix used to indicate that the person being identified is not a blood relative
Portuguese -asto, -asta
  • -astoprefix used to indicate that the person being identified is not a blood relative
  • -astaprefix used to indicate that the person being identified is not a blood relative
Romanian vitreg
  • vitregprefix used to indicate that the person being identified is not a blood relative
Russian сво́дный
  • сво́дный (svódnyj)prefix used to indicate that the person being identified is not a blood relative
Spanish -astro, -astra
  • -astroprefix used to indicate that the person being identified is not a blood relative
  • -astraprefix used to indicate that the person being identified is not a blood relative
Swahili kambo
  • kamboprefix used to indicate that the person being identified is not a blood relative
Swedish styv-
  • styv-prefix used to indicate that the person being identified is not a blood relative
Turkish üvey
  • üveyprefix used to indicate that the person being identified is not a blood relative
Yiddish שטיפֿ־
  • שטיפֿ־ (shtif-)prefix used to indicate that the person being identified is not a blood relative
Cite this entry
APA

step-. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/step-

MLA

“step-.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/step-. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “step-,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/step-.

Source: step- on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.