ramp

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   A sloping surface that joins two levels, used instead of stairs.

   She pushed the wheelchair up the ramp into the building.

2. 2
   verb

   To increase something steadily over time (usually with up).

   The factory plans to ramp up production before the holidays.

3. 3
   verb

   To provide a place with a ramp.

   The old theatre was ramped to allow wheelchair access.

From French rampe, from Middle French rampe, deverbal of ramper, from Old French ramper (“to crawl, climb, scale up”), from Frankish *hrampōn (“to contract oneself, wrinkle, rumple, crumple, curve”), from Proto-Germanic *hrimpaną (“to shrivel, shrink”). Cognate with German Rampf (“retraction, curvature, shrinkage, spasm”). Doublet of romp. Akin also to Old English ġehrimpan (“to wrinkle, rimple, rumple”), Old High German rimpfan (German rümpfen (“to wrinkle up”)). Compare Danish rimpe (“to fold" (archaic), "to baste”), Icelandic rimpa. More at rimple.

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