An orange ladder.
- An example of a ladder is what someone would use to climb to the ground from a fire escape on the second floor.
- An example of a ladder is a person starting in an entry level position and climbing their way up to an executive position.
- a framework consisting of two parallel sidepieces connected by a series of rungs or crosspieces on which a person steps in climbing up or down
- Naut. any staircase or vertical set of steps
- anything by means of which a person climbs or rises
- a rising series of steps, stages, or levels: the ladder of success
- Chiefly Brit. a run as in a stocking
Origin of ladderMiddle English ; from Old English hlæder, akin to German leiter ; from Indo-European base an unverified form ?lei-, to incline, lean
- a. An often portable structure consisting of two long sides crossed by parallel rungs, used to climb up and down.b. Something that resembles this device, especially a run in a stocking.
- a. A means of moving higher or lower, as in a hierarchy: used his accomplishments as a ladder to success.b. A series of ranked stages or levels: high on the executive ladder.
- A fish ladder.
- Sports a. An athletic workout in which one does progressively longer intervals followed by progressively shorter intervals.b. One of the intervals in such a workout.
intransitive verblad·dered, lad·der·ing, lad·ders
Origin of ladderMiddle English, from Old English hl&aemac;der; see klei- in Indo-European roots.
- 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.
- (figuratively) The hierarchy or ranking system within an organization, e.g. the corporate ladder.
- (chiefly UK) A length of unravelled fabric in a knitted garment, especially in nylon stockings; a run.
- In the game of go, a sequence of moves following a zigzag pattern and ultimately leading to the capture of the attacked stones.
- For stockings touted as resistant to ladders, the phrase “ladder resist” is used in the UK. The American equivalent is “run resistant”.
(third-person singular simple present ladders, present participle laddering, simple past and past participle laddered)
- (firefighting) To ascend a building or wall using a ladder.
- (of a knitted garment) To develop a ladder as a result of a broken thread.
From Old English hlǣder, from Proto-Germanic *hlaidriz (compare West Frisian ljedder, Dutch leer, German Leiter), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱleytro (compare Old Irish clithar 'hedge', Umbrian [script?] (kletram) 'stretcher'), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱley- (“to lean”). More at lean, related to lid.