aerial ladder

American

noun

an extensible ladder used for reaching heights, especially from a hook-and-ladder truck.

aerial ladder British

noun

Also called: turntable ladder. a power-operated extending ladder mounted on a fire engine

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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aerial ladder

A swift-water rescue team deployed a helicopter, lowered inflated firehoses and positioned an aerial ladder to allow responders to secure the man and bring him to safety before transporting him to a hospital for evaluation.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 4, 2026

Atop the aerial ladder of a bright red fire engine, a firefighter wrangles a hose.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 23, 2025

Ms Logan's coffin, draped in the Union flag, was carried atop an aerial ladder platform fire engine.

From BBC ● Jun. 14, 2025

The developers have also agreed to provide funding for an aerial ladder truck for the Yucaipa Fire Department, he said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 14, 2024

A fire service spokesperson said an aerial ladder platform had been deployed at the scene to deal with the "significant fire".

From BBC ● Sep. 7, 2024

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023