What does Ladder mean?

Definitions for Ladder
ˈlæd ərlad·der

This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word Ladder.

Princeton's WordNet

  1. laddernoun

    steps consisting of two parallel members connected by rungs; for climbing up or down

  2. laddernoun

    ascending stages by which somebody or something can progress

    "he climbed the career ladder"

  3. run, ladder, ravelverb

    a row of unravelled stitches

    "she got a run in her stocking"

  4. ladder, runverb

    come unraveled or undone as if by snagging

    "Her nylons were running"

GCIDE

  1. Laddernoun

    That which resembles a ladder in form or use; hence, that by means of which one attains to eminence; as, to climb the corporate ladder.

Wiktionary

  1. laddernoun

    A frame usually portable, of wood, metal, or rope, for ascent and descent, consisting of two side pieces to which are fastened cross strips or rounds forming steps.

  2. laddernoun

    That which resembles a ladder in form or use; hence, that by means of which one attains to eminence, e.g. the corporate ladder.

  3. laddernoun

    length of unravelled fabric in a knitted garment, especially in nylon stockings

  4. laddernoun

    In the game of go, a sequence of moves following a zigzag pattern and ultimately leading to the capture of the attacked stones.

  5. ladderverb

    To ascend a building or wall using a ladder.

  6. ladderverb

    To develop a ladder as a result of a broken thread

  7. Etymology: hlæder, from hlaidriz (compare West Frisian ljedder, Dutch leer, German Leiter), from ḱleytro (compare Old Irish clithar 'hedge', Umbrian 'stretcher'), from ḱley-. More at lean, related to lid.

Samuel Johnson's Dictionary

  1. LADDERnoun

    Etymology: hladre , Saxon.

    Whose compost is rotten, and carried in time,
    And spread as it should be, thrift’s ladder may clime. Thomas Tusser.

    Now streets grow throng’d, and busy as by day,
    Some run for buckets to the hallow’d quire;
    Some cut the pipes, and some the engines play,
    And some more bold mount ladders to the fire. Dryden.

    I saw a stage erected about a foot and a half from the ground, capable of holding four of the inhabitants with two or three ladders to mount it. Gulliver’s Travels.

    Easy in words thy stile, in sense sublime;
    ’Tis like the ladder in the patriarch’s dream,
    Its foot on earth; its height above the skies. Matthew Prior.

    Then took she help to her of a servant near about her husband, whom she knew to be of a hasty ambition; and such a one, who wanting true sufficiency to raise him, would make a ladder of any mischief. Philip Sidney, b. ii.

    I must climb her window,
    The ladder made of cords. William Shakespeare, Two Gent. of Verona.

    Northumberland, thou ladder, by the which
    My cousin Bolingbroke ascends my throne. William Shakespeare.

    Lowliness is young ambition’s ladder,
    Whereto the climber upward turns his face. William Shakespeare.

    Endow’d with all these accomplishments, we leave him in the full career of success, mounting fast towards the top of the ladder ecclesiastical, which he hath a fair probability to reach. Jonathan Swift.

Wikipedia

  1. Ladder

    A ladder is a vertical or inclined set of rungs or steps used for climbing or descending. There are two types: rigid ladders that are self-supporting or that may be leaned against a vertical surface such as a wall, and rollable ladders, such as those made of rope or aluminium, that may be hung from the top. The vertical members of a rigid ladder are called stringers or rails (US) or stiles (UK). Rigid ladders are usually portable, but some types are permanently fixed to a structure, building, or equipment. They are commonly made of metal, wood, or fiberglass, but they have been known to be made of tough plastic.

ChatGPT

  1. ladder

    A ladder is a piece of equipment used for climbing up or down something, which consists of two vertical supports, with a series of horizontal bars or steps between them. These steps or rungs are evenly spaced and are used to ascend or descend safely. Ladders can be made from various materials such as wood, metal, or fiberglass, and can come in various lengths, styles and configurations including straight, extension, step-ladders and others.

Webster Dictionary

  1. Ladderverb

    a frame usually portable, of wood, metal, or rope, for ascent and descent, consisting of two side pieces to which are fastened cross strips or rounds forming steps

  2. Ladderverb

    that which resembles a ladder in form or use; hence, that by means of which one attains to eminence

  3. Etymology: [OE. laddre, AS. hlder, hldder; akin to OFries. hladder, OHG. leitara, G. leiter, and from the root of E. lean, v. 40. See Lean, v. i., and cf. Climax.]

Wikidata

  1. Ladder

    A ladder is a vertical or inclined set of rungs or steps. There are two types: rigid ladders that can be leaned against a vertical surface such as a wall, and rope ladders that are hung from the top. The vertical members of a rigid ladder are called stringers or rails or stiles. Rigid ladders are usually portable, but some types are permanently fixed to buildings. They are commonly made of metal, wood, or fibreglass, but they have been known to be made of tough plastic.

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary

  1. Ladder

    lad′ėr, n. a frame made with steps placed between two upright pieces, by which one may ascend a building, &c.: anything by which one ascends: a gradual rise. [A.S. hlǽder; Ger. leiter.]

Dictionary of Nautical Terms

  1. ladder

    The accommodation ladder is a sort of light staircase occasionally fixed on the gangway. It is furnished with rails and man-ropes; the lower end of it is kept at a proper distance from the ship's side by iron bars or braces to render it more convenient. (See GANGWAY.)--Forecastle-ladder and hold-ladder, for getting into or out of those parts of a ship.--Jacob's ladder, abaft top-gallant masts, where no ratlines are provided.--Quarter or stern ladders. Two ladders of rope, suspended from the right and left side of a ship's stern, whereby to get into the boats which are moored astern.

Suggested Resources

  1. Ladder

    Latter vs. Ladder -- In this Grammar.com article you will learn the differences between the words Latter and Ladder.

Matched Categories

British National Corpus

  1. Written Corpus Frequency

    Rank popularity for the word 'Ladder' in Written Corpus Frequency: #3656

  2. Nouns Frequency

    Rank popularity for the word 'Ladder' in Nouns Frequency: #2238

Anagrams for Ladder »

  1. larded

  2. raddle

How to pronounce Ladder?

How to say Ladder in sign language?

Numerology

  1. Chaldean Numerology

    The numerical value of Ladder in Chaldean Numerology is: 1

  2. Pythagorean Numerology

    The numerical value of Ladder in Pythagorean Numerology is: 8

Examples of Ladder in a Sentence

  1. Tyler Bourgoine:

    There were countless lead sinkers... everything from a boat ladder to a barbell.

  2. Trudi Spiller:

    Just before landing, Zac Rockey and Trudi Spiller frantically tried to warn beach-goers to move out of the way. ( SWNS) Losing height, Zac Rockey and his passenger, Trudi Spiller, eventually came to realize they would need to land on a stretch of Jacob’s Ladder Beach in Sidmouth, Devon, when the engine cut out altogether. He's looking out of the side of the plane and I started moving my arms telling people to get out of the way.

  3. Megan Smolenyak:

    I liked that her family was typically American. Within just a couple generations, they climbed the socioeconomic ladder and they had married people with all sorts of different backgrounds. That, to me, is part of the magic, annie’s story is our story.

  4. Vladimir Putin.For Heraskevych:

    I've just been trying to work in my area, in sports, everything feels so far away. Your whole life you try to achieve something and you go step by step, but this ladder is broken now and now your whole life goes in a different direction.

  5. Mary McCormack:

    I have never felt before such a movement of anger towards the government, he's got a good wage, he saves his money but he can't afford to step onto that ladder. A man that age should have his own place.

Popularity rank by frequency of use

Ladder#1#9460#10000

Translations for Ladder

From our Multilingual Translation Dictionary

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"Ladder." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 18 Apr. 2024. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/Ladder>.

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