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Ladder vs Stairs - What's the difference?

ladder | stairs |

As nouns the difference between ladder and stairs

is that ladder is a frame, usually portable, of wood, metal, or rope, used for ascent and descent, consisting of two side pieces to which are fastened rungs: cross strips or rounds acting as steps while stairs is a contiguous set of steps connecting two floors.

As a verb ladder

is to ascend a building or wall using a ladder.

ladder

English

Alternative forms

* (dialectal)

Noun

(en noun)
  • A frame, usually portable, of wood, metal, or rope, used for ascent and descent, consisting of two side pieces to which are fastened rungs: cross strips or rounds acting as steps.
  • (figuratively) A series of stages by which one progresses to a better position.
  • * '>citation
  • # The hierarchy or ranking system within an organization, e.g. the corporate ladder.
  • (chiefly, British) A length of unravelled fabric in a knitted garment, especially in nylon stockings; a run.
  • In the game of go, a sequence of moves following a zigzag pattern and ultimately leading to the capture of the attacked stones.
  • Usage notes

    * For stockings touted as resistant to ladders, the phrase “ladder resist” is used in the UK. The American equivalent is “run resistant”.

    Synonyms

    * (frame for ascent and descent) stepladder * (unravelled fabric) run (qualifier)

    Derived terms

    * aerial ladder * companion ladder * corporate ladder * DNA ladder * laddered * laddering * rope ladder * scaling ladder * stepladder

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • (firefighting) To ascend a building or wall using a ladder.
  • * 1998 , John Norman, Fire Officer's Handbook of Tactics , ISBN 0912212721, page 164,
  • A good working knowledge of the ladder parts, how they work, their capacities, and proper usage are a must before anyone is sent out to ladder a building.
  • (of a knitted garment) To develop a as a result of a broken thread.
  • Anagrams

    * * 1000 English basic words ----

    stairs

    English

    Noun

    (head)
  • (label) A contiguous set of steps connecting two floors.
  • * '>citation
  • *, chapter=13
  • , title= Mr. Pratt's Patients , passage=We tiptoed into the house, up the stairs and along the hall into the room where the Professor had been spending so much of his time.}}
  • Synonyms

    * (contiguous set of steps ): stairway, staircase

    Anagrams

    * * English plurals