Rappel

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /ɹæˈpɛl/

Definitions

1. To move down a steep slope or cliff by sliding down a rope controlled by a figure-eight device or other braking system
2. The act of lowering oneself down a vertical face with the help of a secured rope to control descent
3. A technique used to safely descend cliffs or other vertical structures by sliding down a rope while maintaining control

Etymology: The English verb "rappel" comes from French "rappeler," which meant "to pull through," a sense tied to hauling a rope back through a fixed point. Climbers use it for the controlled slide down a rope, a meaning that seems to run the opposite way to the French original, yet the rope is the link: the climber's line passes through an anchor and back, so it is drawn through the same loop as the descent proceeds. French "rappeler" is built from "re-," meaning "back" or "again," and "appeler," "to call," which descends from Latin "appellare," "to address or name." Combined with "re-," the idea of calling back gave way to the older sense of pulling a rope back through something. The word is thus the same kind of formation as "repeal," which shares the "re-" prefix and a Latin base in "pellere," "to drive."

Synonyms: abseil, descend