English Explanatory Dictionary

ladder

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. A frame, usually portable, of wood, metal, or rope, used for ascent and descent, consisting of two side pieces to which are fastened rungs (cross strips or rounds acting as steps).
  2. A series of stages by which one progresses to a better position.
  3. The hierarchy or ranking system within an organization, such as the corporate ladder.
  4. A length of unravelled fabric in a knitted garment, especially in nylon stockings; a run.
  5. A sequence of moves following a zigzag pattern and ultimately leading to the capture of the attacked stones.
  6. A league table.
verb
  1. To arrange or form into a shape of a ladder.
  2. To ascend (a building, a wall, etc.) using a ladder.
  3. Of a knitted garment: to develop a ladder as a result of a broken thread.
  4. To close in on a target with successive salvos, increasing or decreasing the shot range as necessary.
  5. To corruptly coerce a convicted offender to admit to offences to be taken into consideration which they do not actually believe they committed, as a way to artificially increase the rate of solved crimes.

Pronunciation

/ˈlad.ə/ /ˈlæd.ɚ/ [ˈlæɾ.ɚ] en-us-ladder.ogg en-au-ladder.ogg

Word forms

ladder ladders ledder laddering laddered

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English ladder, laddre; from Old English hlǣder, from Proto-West Germanic *hlaidriju, from Proto-Germanic *hlaidrijō, from Proto-Indo-European *ḱlóydʰrom, from *ḱley- (“to lean”). Compare Scots ledder, North Frisian ladder, Saterland Frisian Laadere, West Frisian ljedder, Dutch ladder, German Leiter; also Old Irish clithar (“hedge”), and Umbrian 𐌊𐌋𐌄𐌈𐌓𐌀𐌌 (kleθram, “stretcher”). See lean, which is related to lid. Further cognates include Ashkun istrī, Kamkata-viri c̣ik, Prasuni čik, čix; Waigali c̣iř, Sanskrit श्रिति (śrití).

Synonyms

stepladder run

Derived words

accommodation ladder aerial ladder angel's ladder Appalachian Jacob's ladder attic ladder Cantril ladder chain-ladder method chicken ladder chutes and ladders climb the ladder climb up the ladder coin ladder companion ladder corporate ladder crossed ladders problem DNA ladder downladder fail up the ladder fare ladder fish ladder hook ladder interladder Jacob's ladder ladderane ladderback ladder back ladder-back ladder beam laddered laddergram ladder handle laddering ladderize ladder-laced ladder lacing ladderless ladderlike ladder logic ladder lottery ladderman ladder match ladder mate Ladder of Jacob ladder of opportunity ladder operator ladder polyether ladder school ladder snake ladder stitch laddertron ladder wagon ladder wall ladderway ladderwise laddery loft ladder monkey ladder on the ladder peg ladder pencil ladder

Translations

Abkhaz: амардуан Afrikaans: leer Albanian: shkallë Northern Altai: паскыш Southern Altai: баскыш Southern Altai: тепкиш Arabic: سُلَّم Arabic: سلوم Arabic: سلَّم Aragonese: escalera Assyrian Neo-Aramaic: ܣܸܡܲܠܬܵܐ Armenian: աստիճան Armenian: սանդուղք Armenian: փիլաքյան Aromanian: scarã Assamese: জখলা Asturian: escalera Azerbaijani: nərdivan Bashkir: баҫҡыс Basque: eskailera Belarusian: ле́свіца Belarusian: драбі́ны Bengali: মই Bislama: lada Breton: skeul Bulgarian: стъ́лба Burmese: လှေကား Burushaski: ćhiṣ Catalan: escala Chechen: лами Cherokee: ᎠᏴᏠ Chinese Cantonese: 梯 Chinese: тиҗя Chinese: 樓梯 /楼梯 Chinese: 梯 Eastern Min Chinese: 樓梯 /楼梯 Eastern Min Chinese: 梯 Gan Chinese: 樓梯 /楼梯 Hakka Chinese: 梯 Jin Chinese: 梯子 Jin Chinese: 樓梯 /楼梯 Chinese Mandarin: 梯子 Chinese Mandarin: 扶梯 Northern Min Chinese: 樓階 /楼阶 Wu Chinese: 胡梯 Xiang Chinese: 梯子 Choctaw: aboiya West Circassian: дэкӏояпӏэ West Circassian: лъэой Czech: žebřík Danish: stige Dutch: ladder
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