STEPPING STONE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does stepping stone mean? 

• STEPPING STONE (noun)
  The noun STEPPING STONE has 2 senses:

1. a stone in a marsh or shallow water that can be stepped on in crossing

2. any means of advancement

  Familiarity information: STEPPING STONE used as a noun is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• STEPPING STONE (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A stone in a marsh or shallow water that can be stepped on in crossing

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural objects (not man-made)

Hypernyms ("stepping stone" is a kind of...):

rock; stone (a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Any means of advancement

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Context example:

the job was just a stepping stone on his way to fame and riches

Hypernyms ("stepping stone" is a kind of...):

agency; means; way (thing or person that acts to produce a particular effect or achieve an end)

 Context examples 

NASA has big plans for returning astronauts to the Moon in 2024, a stepping stone on the path to sending humans to Mars.

(NASA's Treasure Map for Water Ice on Mars, NASA)