ladder

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   A frame with steps used for climbing up or down, made of two long pieces joined by rungs.

   He climbed the ladder to reach the roof.

2. 2
   noun

   A series of stages or ranks by which someone moves up to a better position.

   They climbed the career ladder.

3. 3
   noun

   A line of unraveled threads in tights or stockings; a run.

   She noticed a ladder in her stockings just before the interview.

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).

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