stepping stone

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stepping stone

The child hops from one stepping stone to another across the shallow stream.

Definition

Noun: 1. A stone in a marsh or shallow water that provides a place to step, allowing one to cross without getting wet. This is the original, literal meaning. 2. Any means of advancement; an event, job, or experience that helps you progress toward a goal. This is the common figurative meaning, where the "stone" represents a temporary stage in a longer journey.

Usage Examples

  • Literal Meaning:

    • We used the flat rocks as stepping stones to cross the stream.
    • The path through the wetland was marked by a series of stepping stones.

  • Figurative Meaning:

    • Her first internship served as a crucial stepping stone to her career in medicine.
    • He viewed the small role in the play as a stepping stone to larger acting opportunities.
    • This project is an important stepping stone toward our long-term objective.
Advanced Usage
  • The phrase is almost always used in a positive or neutral context to describe progressive stages.
  • It can be used with various verbs: .
  • It implies that the step is not the final destination but a necessary part of the journey.
Variants and Related Words
  • Stepping-stone (hyphenated): An accepted alternative spelling, especially when used as a compound modifier before a noun (e.g., ).
  • Springboard: A similar metaphor implying a launch towards something greater.
  • Stepping stone method: A term used in operations research for a transportation algorithm.
Synonyms
  • Figurative: Springboard, launchpad, stage, phase, rung (on the ladder), milestone (though a milestone marks progress, not necessarily a means to it).
Antonyms
  • Figurative: Stumbling block, obstacle, barrier, dead end, final destination.
Related Idioms and Phrases
  • A stepping stone to something: This is the standard prepositional phrase used with the word.
    • The position was a stepping stone to a management role.
  • The concept is central to the idiom "step by step," which describes gradual progress.
stepping stone

The child hops from one stepping stone to another across the shallow stream.

Noun
  1. any means of advancement
    • the job was just a stepping stone on his way to fame and riches
  2. a stone in a marsh or shallow water that can be stepped on in crossing