ladder

Meaning

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

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. (slang) 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.

Hyphenated as

lad‧der

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈladə/

Etymology

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, leer, German Leiter); also Old Irish clithar (“hedge”), Umbrian 𐌊𐌋𐌄𐌈𐌓𐌀𐌌 (kleθram, “stretcher”)). See lean, which is related to lid.