Climbers

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. People who scale mountains and steep surfaces for recreation or sport
2. Teams or groups that participate in climbing activities, often challenging elevation
3. Persons who ascend natural or artificial elevations using physical effort ; plants that extend their stems or vines upward by gripping supports

Etymology: "Climbers" is simply the plural of "climber," and the story is mostly one of grammar: an ordinary English verb plus an old suffix. The verb "climb" comes from Middle English "climben," which carried a wide range of senses beyond physical ascent, including rising, advancing, overcoming, and even approaching God in prayer. The "-er" ending that turns it into a noun for a person doing the action was already productive in Middle English, and "clymbere" and "clymber" appeared in the sense of one who climbs. The origin of "climb" itself is less settled. One account treats it as a frequentative of the verb (a form suggesting repeated or sustained action), while another holds that it blends "climb" with "clamber," a verb of scrambling over rough ground. Either way, the physical, hands-and-feet sense of the word is the one that has stayed closest to its roots, which is why the modern plural suits the sense of groups tackling steep terrain.

Synonyms: mountaineers, ascenders, hikers