ladder
pronunciation
How to pronounce ladder in British English:
UK [ˈlædə(r)]
How to pronounce ladder in American English:
US [ˈlædər]
-
- Noun:
- steps consisting of two parallel members connected by rungs; for climbing up or down
- ascending stages by which somebody or something can progress
- a row of unravelled stitches
-
- Verb:
- come unraveled or undone as if by snagging
Word Origin
- ladder
- ladder: [OE] Etymologically, a ladder is something that is ‘leant’ up against a wall. Like Greek klīmax ‘ladder’ (source of English climax), it goes back ultimately to the Indo- European base *khli-, source of English lean. Its West Germanic relatives are German leiter and Dutch leer.=> climax, lean
- ladder (n.)
- Old English hlæder "ladder, steps," from Proto-Germanic *khlaidri (cognates: Old Frisian hledere, Middle Dutch ledere, Old High German leitara, German Leiter), from PIE root *klei- "to lean" (cognates: Greek klimax "ladder;" see lean (v.)). In late Old English, rungs were læddrestæfæ and the side pieces were ledder steles. The belief that walking under one brings bad luck is attested from 1787, but its origin likely is more pragmatic than symbolic. Ladder-back (adj.) as a type of chair is from 1898.
Example
- 1. You have to go outside and use a ladder .
- 2. Another option is to use a so-called cd ladder .
- 3. And they find alternatives to the ministerial ladder .
- 4. Folding chair ladder said to have been designed originally by benjamin franklin .
- 5. Let me get the ladder for you !