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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
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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 21 Nov. 2024.
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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