ladder

Pluralladders

Formsladders, laddering, laddered

1. 1
   nouncountable

   A tall frame with steps that you climb to reach high places.

   Like stairs you can pick up and carry from place to place.

   He leaned the ladder against the wall to fix the roof.

   She climbed up the ladder to pick apples from the tree.

   Similarstepladder

   Note
2. 2
   nounfigurativelycountable

   A set of steps or stages that take you to a better place in life.

   Like climbing real steps, but each step is a stage in your life.

   Finishing school was the first step on her ladder to a good career.

   Each new job helped him move up the ladder toward his dream.

   Similarpath, route, road

3. 3
   nounfigurativelycountable

   The order of ranks in a company, from the lowest jobs to the highest.

   Like floors in a building, with the boss's office at the top.

   She started at the bottom and slowly climbed the company ladder.

   Many workers want to rise up the ladder to become managers.

   Similarhierarchy, scale

4. 4
   nounBritishcountable

   A line of unraveled threads in a stocking or knitted item, caused by a broken thread.

   Like a snag that keeps spreading into a long line of broken stitches.

   She noticed a ladder running up her tights on the way to work.

   A small ladder appeared in his sock after it caught on a nail.

   Similarrun

   Note
5. 5
   verbintransitive

   To get a line of unraveled threads, as when a stocking's thread breaks.

   Like a small tear that keeps spreading into a long line.

   Cheap stockings ladder the first time you wear them.

   Her tights laddered as soon as she snagged them on the chair.

   Similarrun, unravel

   Note
6. 6
   verbtransitive

   To set things up in steps or rows so they look like a ladder.

   Like stacking steps so each one sits above the last.

   The coach asked the players to ladder the cones across the field.

   They laddered the ribbons up the wall for the display.

   Similarstagger, tier, stack

   Note
7. 7
   verbtransitive

   To climb up a building or wall using a ladder.

   Like using a tall set of steps to climb up the side of a wall.

   Firefighters had to ladder the building to reach the trapped family.

   Crews laddered the wall and pulled the workers to safety.

   Similarscale, climb

   Note
8. 8
   nouncountable

   In the game Go, a chase of moves in a zigzag line that ends in capturing stones.

   Like chasing someone down a zigzag path until they have nowhere left to go.

   She caught his stones in a ladder and won the corner.

   Beginners often lose groups by running into a ladder.

   Note
9. 9
   verbslangUKtransitive or intransitive

   To fire shots one after another, changing the range each time to close in on a target.

   The gunners began to ladder toward the enemy ship.

   They laddered their fire until the shells landed on target.

   Similarbracket

   Note
10. 10
    verbUKtransitive

    To unfairly pressure a guilty person into admitting crimes they didn't do, so police seem more successful.

    The officers tried to ladder the prisoner into confessing to old burglaries.

    They laddered him into admitting crimes he never committed.

    Note

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