Emily Dickinson Lexicon

STEP, a. [Sax. steop, from stepan, to deprive, is prefixed to certain words to express a relation by marriage. In the explication of step, I have followed Lye. The D. and G. write stief, and the Swedes styf, before the name; a word which does not appear to be connected with any verb signifying to bereave, and the word is not without some difficulties. I have given the explanation which appears to be most probably correct. If the radical sense of step, a pace, is to part or open, the word coincides with Sax. stepan, to deprive, and in the compounds below, step may imply removal or distance. See STEPBROTHER, STEPCHILD, STEPDAME, STEPDAUGHTER, STEPFATHER, STEPMOTHER, STEPSISTER, STEPSON.]