ladder

Plural: ladders

Noun

• steps consisting of two parallel members connected by rungs; for climbing up or down
• ascending stages by which somebody or something can progress
  • "he climbed the career ladder"
• a row of unravelled stitches
• A frame, usually portable, of wood, metal, or rope, used for ascent and descent, consisting of two side pieces to which are fastened rungs (cross strips or rounds acting as steps).
• A series of stages by which one progresses to a better position.
• The hierarchy or ranking system within an organization, such as the corporate ladder.
• A length of unravelled fabric in a knitted garment, especially in nylon stockings; a run.
• A sequence of moves following a zigzag pattern and ultimately leading to the capture of the attacked stones.

Verb

Verb Forms: laddered, laddering, ladders

• To cause a run or tear in a stocking.
• come unraveled or undone as if by snagging
• To arrange or form into a shape of a ladder.
• To ascend (a building, a wall, etc.) using a ladder.
• Of a knitted garment: to develop a ladder as a result of a broken thread.
• To close in on a target with successive salvos, increasing or decreasing the shot range as necessary.
• To corruptly coerce a convicted offender to admit to offences to be taken into consideration which they do not actually believe they committed, as a way to artificially increase the rate of solved crimes.

Examples

• A single misplaced tile can LADDER the entire Scrabble board, creating unexpected hooks.
• Oh damn it, I've laddered my tights!

Synonyms

ravel, run, stepladder

Anagrams of ladder