歩 (ho) means “step” | MotiTan Japanese Dictionary

More examples

危険を感じたら、一歩下がります。ki ken o kan ji ta ra ip po sa ga ri ma su

If I sense danger, I take one step back.

It treats forward movement as a sequence of individual advances, with each advance forming one step.

一歩ippo: A single step, often used to mark a small amount of progress or distance.

歩くときに足を一度進めること。また、その動きで進む距離。aru ku to ki ni ashi o ichi do susu me ru ko to ma ta so no ugo ki de susu mu kyo ri

The noun 歩 (ho, "step") comes from the Sino-Japanese reading of 歩, a character associated with walking and taking steps.

In shogi, 歩 (ho, "step") has a different reading, fu, and refers to the pawn rather than a movement.