half step

noun

1
: a walking step of 15 inches or in double time of 18 inches
2
: a musical interval (such as E-F or B-C) equivalent to ¹/₁₂ of an octave

called also semitone

Examples of half step in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Its layout doesn’t follow a regular chromatic scale, so a half step between notes can necessitate a giant leap across the instrument. Jane Bua, New Yorker, 5 May 2025 Colts–Broncos was similarly uneventful except for Jonathan Taylor dropping the ball a half step before walking into the end zone on a long run. Michael Salfino, The Athletic, 16 Dec. 2024 More of a half step than Microsoft’s Xbox One X, which can at least do things like play 4K Blu-rays. Jeffrey Van Camp, WIRED, 5 Mar. 2018 Kentucky Derby second-place finisher Sierra Leone, a half step from winning, is expected to headline that field. CBS News, 18 May 2024 See All Example Sentences for half step

Word History

First Known Use

1598, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of half step was in 1598

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Cite this Entry

“Half step.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/half%20step. Accessed 23 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

half step

noun
: the pitch interval between any two adjacent tones on a keyboard instrument

called also semitone

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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