Hypertext Webster Gateway: "ladder"
From Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary (easton)
Ladder
occurs only once, in the account of Jacob's vision (Gen. 28:12).
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Ladder \Lad"der\, n. [OE. laddre, AS. hl?der, hl?dder; akin to
OFries. hladder, OHG. leitara, G. leiter, and from the root
of E. lean, v. (?). See {Lean}, v. i., and cf. {Climax}.]
1. A frame usually portable, of wood, metal, or rope, for
ascent and descent, consisting of two side pieces to which
are fastened cross strips or rounds forming steps.
Some the engines play, And some, more bold, mount
ladders to the fire. --Dryden.
2. That which resembles a ladder in form or use; hence, that
by means of which one attains to eminence.
Lowliness is young ambition's ladder. --Shak.
{Fish ladder}. See under {Fish}.
{Ladder beetle} (Zo["o]l.), an American leaf beetle
({Chrysomela scalaris}). The elytra are silvery white,
striped and spotted with green; the under wings are
rose-colored. It feeds upon the linden tree.
{Ladder handle}, an iron rail at the side of a vertical fixed
ladder, to grasp with the hand in climbing.
{Ladder shell} (Zo["o]l.), a spiral marine shell of the genus
Scalaria. See {Scalaria}.
From WordNet (r) 1.7 (wn)
ladder
n 1: steps consisting of two parallel members connected by rungs;
for climbing up or down
2: a row of unravelled stitches; "she got a run in her
stocking" [syn: {run}, {ravel}]
v : come unraveled or undone as if by snagging, of stockings;
"Her nylons were running" [syn: {run}]
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