stirrup B2 Topic:The Human Body 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 Common collocations stirrup cup Noun + noun Etymology AI details 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 The Human Body External links Cambridge Dictionary Wiktionary Google Images # 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 - The Human Body markdown