ladder: [OE] Etymologically, a ladder is something that is ‘leant’ up against a wall. Like Greek klīmax ‘ladder’ (source of English climax), it goes back ultimately to the Indo- European base *khli-, source of English lean. Its West Germanic relatives are German leiter and Dutch leer. => climax, lean
ladder (n.)
Old English hlæder "ladder, steps," from Proto-Germanic *khlaidri (cognates: Old Frisian hledere, Middle Dutch ledere, Old High German leitara, German Leiter), from PIE root *klei- "to lean" (cognates: Greek klimax "ladder;" see lean (v.)). In late Old English, rungs were læddrestæfæ and the side pieces were ledder steles. The belief that walking under one brings bad luck is attested from 1787, but its origin likely is more pragmatic than symbolic. Ladder-back (adj.) as a type of chair is from 1898.
雙語例句
1. Her whole body began to buckle, unbalancing the ladder.
她整個身體開始彎曲，搞得梯子傾側起來。
來自柯林斯例句
2. Two men were on the bridge-deck, steadying a ladder.
兩名男子在船橋甲板上扶著一架梯子不讓它搖晃。
來自柯林斯例句
3. We climbed rather perilously down a rope-ladder to the boat below.
我們冒著相當大的危險沿著繩梯爬到了下麵的船上。
來自柯林斯例句
4. Uncle George quickly descended the ladder and nimbly stepped aboard.