Abseilings

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The act of descending a vertical surface by using a rope secured above
2. A technique often employed in climbing or rescue operations for safe descent
3. The process of rappelling down from a height, utilizing equipment to control the speed of descent

Etymology: "Abseilings" is the plural of "abseiling", the noun for the act of descending a rock face or cliff by sliding down a doubled rope fixed above. The base word is the German "abseilen", formed from "ab" meaning "down, off" and "seilen", to lower by rope, from "Seil", rope. The German term came from mountaineering practice in the Alps, and English adopted it in the same climbing setting, so the sport and its vocabulary arrived together.

Synonyms: descents, rappels, climbs down, lowerings

Antonyms: ascents, climbs, ascendings