stirrup

B2 Topic:Sports & Fitness

US /ˈstɪɹəp/ UK /ˈstɪɹəp/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

noun
a metal loop attached to a saddle for a rider's foot

She placed her foot in the stirrup and mounted the horse.
2

noun
a small bone in the middle ear that transmits sound vibrations

The stirrup is the smallest bone in the human body.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · a metal loop attached to a... footrestfoot holdersaddle loopriding loop

2 noun · a small bone in the middle... stapesear boneauditory ossiclemiddle ear bone

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

stirrup cup
a farewell drink offered to someone about to depart on horseback

Noun + noun

Etymology

From Old English stigrāp, from Proto-Germanic stig- ('to climb') + rap- ('rope'); via Middle English stirop into Modern English stirrup, a foot support on a saddle.

Topics

Sports & Fitness

External links

# stirrup

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B2
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /ˈstɪɹəp/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈstɪɹəp/

## Meanings
1. a metal loop attached to a saddle for a rider's foot
2. a small bone in the middle ear that transmits sound vibrations

## Examples
- She placed her foot in the stirrup and mounted the horse.
- The stirrup is the smallest bone in the human body.

## Synonyms
- footrest
- foot holder
- saddle loop
- riding loop
- stapes
- ear bone
- auditory ossicle
- middle ear bone

## Etymology
From Old English stigrāp, from Proto-Germanic stig- ('to climb') + rap- ('rope'); via Middle English stirop into Modern English stirrup, a foot support on a saddle.

## AI Etymology
Stirrup comes from Old English stigrāp, from Proto-Germanic stig- ('to climb') + rap- ('rope'); via Middle English stirop into Modern English stirrup, a foot support on a saddle. In current use it is a noun meaning "a metal loop attached to a saddle for a rider's foot". That sense is explained by the older material without requiring a speculative semantic step: the inherited or borrowed base supplies the field of meaning, while the English formation fixes its modern role. The surface form is compositional: its joined elements remain visible in the modern word. The word's history is thus visible in its construction: the components remain interpretable even after the whole expression has settled into a conventional English meaning.

## Topics
- Sports & Fitness

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