Ladders

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A series of steps or rungs connected by side supports that allows one to ascend or descend elevations
2. A system of advantages or progression typically used in a competitive context where individuals move up through ranks
3. A metaphorical scheme that illustrates the levels of achievement or status one can attain in various pursuits

Etymology: "Ladders" is simply the plural of "ladder", so the story belongs to the singular. The word goes back to Old English "hlǣder", which came from a Proto-Germanic root meaning "to lean", the same ancestor that gave English "lean" itself. The underlying idea is a structure you lean things against or climb by leaning on, and the connection is visible in the word's German and Dutch relatives, "Leiter" and "ladder", which share it. Its ancient kinship reaches further than Europe. The same root appears in Old Irish as "clithar", meaning "hedge", and in Sanskrit as "śrití", meaning "a leaning or resting". Ideas of leaning and propping thus travelled through a wide family of languages long before anyone built a rung-and-rail climbing frame.

Synonyms: steps, rungs