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Glite Dictionary
💃 A lively dance 🥁 A fast march 💃 To dance quickly
quickstep

quickstep

7.2
A fast marching tune used when soldiers march
  • noun
  • /ˈkwɪkˌstɛp/
  • Specialized
translation icon : paso rápido
  • As we brought up to an anchor, the band began to play the quickstep, and we saw the sailors marching and countermarching among the guns.

Examples

  • The soldiers moved in perfect formation as they marched to the quickstep during the parade.

  • Order the men up to quickstep.

    Fiction book (1992)

  • For the final routine, the drill team practiced their movements to a quickstep that energized the crowd.

  • The band played a lively quickstep as the troops prepared for their ceremonial march.

Synonyms

double time
vsquickstep
  • Jargon
2 4.9

A fast marching pace used by soldiers to move quickly

is faster than ordinary marching tempo but may differ from 180 steps per minute
quick march
vsquickstep
  • UK
1 5.1

A marching pace faster than walking and slower than running at about 120 steps per minute

is faster than ordinary marching and usually faster than 120 steps per minute
double-quick
vsquickstep
7.9

Very quick, as when soldiers march at twice the normal speed

is faster than ordinary marching but not always as extreme as twice speed

How Fast

double time
  • Jargon
2 4.9
quickstep
  • Specialized
7.2
quick march
  • UK
1 5.1
slow march
  • Formal
1 4.9

Surface Forms

quickstep singular
quicksteps plural

Morphology

quickstep = quick + step (semi-transparent) = quick + step

The literal composition suggests a fast step, but the conventionalized military/march tempo sense is specialized and not fully predictable from the parts.

Etymology

Quickstep is made from quick ('fast') and step ('a marching movement'), which explains why the word also names a quicker military march used to move soldiers at a faster pace.