v.
Pronunciation: r ə - ' pel, ra-
Function: intransitive verb
Inflected Form: -pelled also -peled ; -pel · ling also -pel · ing
Etymology: F, literally, recall, from Old French rapel, from rapeler to recall, from re- + apeler to appeal, call ― more at APPEAL
Date: 1944
: to descend (as from a cliff) by sliding down a rope passed under one thigh, across the body, and over the opposite shoulder or through a special friction device
– rappel noun