laddernoun
uk/ˈlæd.ər/us/ˈlæd.ɚ/ladder noun (EQUIPMENT)
B1 [ C ] a piece of equipment used for climbing up and down, that consists of two vertical bars or pieces of rope joined to each other by a set of horizontal steps:
More examples
- Getting up the ladder was easy enough - it was coming down that was the problem.
- The ladder won't quite reach the top of the wall.
- My son broke a rib when he fell off a ladder.
- That ladder doesn't look safe.
- One of the steps on the ladder is broken.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Parts of buildings: stairs & lifts
- chairlift
- doorstep
- drag lift
- dumb waiter
- elevator
- escalator
- fire escape
- lift
- ramp
- riser
- rope ladder
- rung
- stair
- staircase
- stairwell
- step
- stepladder
- stoep
- stoop
- tread
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ladder noun (SERIES OF STAGES)
C1 [ S ] a series of increasingly important jobs or stages in a particular type of work or process:
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Order and sequence - general words
- alphabetize
- back end
- back end
- be a chapter of accidents idiom
- catalogue
- litany
- merry-go-round
- next
- nth
- penultimate
- run
- running
- second 1
- sequential
- series
- succession
- thirdly
- timeline
- train
- vice versa
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ladder noun (HOLE)
[ C ] UK US run a long, vertical hole in a pair of tights or a stocking
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Holes, hollows and dips
- aperture
- cleft
- cranny
- dent
- depression
- dint
- dip
- donga
- eyehole
- intake
- orifice
- perforation
- pinhole
- pit
- porosity
- porous
- puncture
- riddled
- tear 1
- wormhole
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You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:
ladder noun (COMPETITION)
[ C ] mainly UK also ladder tournament (in particular sports) a system in which all the players who play regularly are given a position in a list and can improve their position by beating other players in that list:
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Competitions, & parts of competitions
- battle
- battle of wits idiom
- beauty contest
- beauty pageant
- benefit match
- clash
- double-header
- European night
- exhibition match
- friendly
- handicap
- kickabout
- meeting
- nip
- one-horse race
- race
- race meeting
- Rafferty's rules
- the Premier League
- winning post
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ladderverb [ I or T ]
uk/ˈlæd.ər/us/ˈlæd.ɚ/UKUS run If a pair of tights or a stocking ladders or if you ladder it, a long hole appears in it:
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Tearing and breaking into pieces
- apart
- asunder
- bobble
- break (sth) off
- breakage
- catch
- fall apart
- flake
- fragment
- fragmented
- frayed
- in ribbons idiom
- knacker
- pull sth apart
- rent
- rip
- shear
- split
- tear sth up
- torn
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