/ ˈlædə(r); NAmE / noun , verb
■ noun
1.
a piece of equipment for climbing up and down a wall, the side of a building, etc., consisting of two lengths of wood or metal that are joined together by steps or rungs :
to climb up / fall off a ladder
—see also stepladder
2.
[ usually sing. ] a series of stages by which you can make progress in a career or an organization :
to move up or down the social ladder
the career ladder
3.
( BrE ) ( NAmE run ) a long thin hole in tights or stockings where some threads have broken
4.
(also ˈladder tournament ) a competition in a particular sport or game in which teams or players are arranged in a list and they can move up the list by defeating one of the teams or players above
■ verb
[ v , vn ] ( BrE ) if tights or stockings ladder or you ladder them, a long thin hole appears in them
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WORD ORIGIN
Old English hlǣd(d)er , of West Germanic origin; related to Dutch leer and German Leiter .