English

Verb

step aside ‎(third-person singular simple present steps aside, present participle stepping aside, simple past and past participle stepped aside)

1. (intransitive, idiomatic) to move out of one's way
2. (intransitive, idiomatic) to make room for others as replacements by withdrawing from a position or service
3. (intransitive, idiomatic) to deviate from the right or proper path
   • 18th c., Robert Burns, Address to the Unco Guid, or The Rigidly Righteous:

     To step aside is human.

4. (intransitive, idiomatic) to walk to a little distance; retire for the occasion

References

• step aside in The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1911
• “step aside”, in OED Online, Oxford: Oxford University Press, launched 2000.