ladder

CEFRB1

/ˈlad.ə/

noun

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    noun

    A piece of equipment with steps used for climbing up or down.

  2. 02

    noun

    A series of levels showing progress or position.

Examples

  • Bill climbed the ladder of success until he became the president of the company.

  • He placed a wooden ladder against the wall to reach the roof.

At a glance

Sits at B1 on the CEFR scale

Senses
5
Parts of speech
1
Citations
5
Synonyms
1

Also pronounced

  • [ˈlæɾ.ɚ]
  • /ˈlæd.ɚ/

Deep Dive

noun

Extra meanings

  1. A series of stages by which one progresses to a better position.

  2. The hierarchy or ranking system within an organization, such as the corporate ladder.

  3. 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).

More examples

In context

  • Stand the ladder against the wall.

  • Oh damn it, I've laddered my tights!

  • He slid his hand up her skirt and murmured in her ear. / "Robert, I've just got dressed. Stop it." […] / He laddered her stocking and smudged her lipstick, but she had time to repair the damage before they went out.

Synonyms

Quick test

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He climbed the blank to reach the roof and fix the broken antenna.

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Nearby

Origin

noun

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).