whole step
noun
: a musical interval (such as C–D or C–B♭) comprising two half steps
called also whole tone
Examples of whole step in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
It’s added a whole step to help protect our customers, our own family and employees.
—
Pat Stoetzer, baltimoresun.com/maryland/carroll, 23 Nov. 2020
Others went so far as to demand that President Xi Jinping and the Communist Party as a whole step down.
—Los Angeles Times, 7 Dec. 2022
One of the things about the pandemic is that the video calls are great, but actually being here in a podcast studio with somebody is actually just a whole step above that.
—Tax Notes Staff, Forbes, 20 Jan. 2022
Pat Stoetzer, baltimoresun.com/maryland/carroll, 23 Nov. 2020
Others went so far as to demand that President Xi Jinping and the Communist Party as a whole step down.
—Los Angeles Times, 7 Dec. 2022
One of the things about the pandemic is that the video calls are great, but actually being here in a podcast studio with somebody is actually just a whole step above that.
—Tax Notes Staff, Forbes, 20 Jan. 2022
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'whole step.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
circa 1899, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near whole step
Cite this Entry
“Whole step.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/whole%20step. Accessed 7 Dec. 2023.
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Kids Definition
whole step
noun
: the basic unit of measurement of the difference in pitch between two tones equal to that between a C and the D just above it
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