Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

kick-step

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: 4.58 in modern English

Syllables: kick--step
IPA

20

Scrabble Score

8

Letters

3

Syllables

7

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A dance move in which the dancer first kicks a foot in the air in front of the opposite leg (often while bending the knee slightly on that leg) and then puts the foot down shifting balance on to it.

noun

A hiking technique for managing loose soil where the hiker first aggressively kicks the ground, digging a foothold, before shifting weight onto the foot.

verb

To dance using a kick-step.

verb

To hike using a kick-step.

Example Sentences

"The kick-step she'd used to make steps out of the play area, was necessary to keep from sliding while walking across a slope."
"2014, Paul Salopek, Blessed. Cursed. Claimed., National Geographic (December 2014)https://web.archive.org/web/20150212214621/http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2014/12/pilgrim-roads/salopek-text Arms draped on shoulders, kick-stepping in circles, they swing bottles of wine. Purpled thumbs cork the bottles. The wine leaps and jumps behind green glass."

Etymology

From kick + step.

Inflected Forms

kick-steps (plural) kick-steps (present, singular) kick-stepping (participle, present) kick-stepped (participle, past) kick-stepped (past)

Questions

What does kick-step mean?: A dance move in which the dancer first kicks a foot in the air in front of the opposite leg (often while bending the knee slightly on that leg) and then puts the foot down shifting balance on to it.
Where does kick-step come from?: From kick + step.

How to pronounce kick-step

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “kick-step”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling () so you know which sounds to aim for.
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Repeat and practice — Say “kick-step” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.