climber
Americannoun
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a person or thing that climbs.
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a climbing plant.
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a device to assist in climbing, as a climbing iron.
noun
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a person or thing that climbs
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a plant that lacks rigidity and grows upwards by twining, scrambling, or clinging with tendrils and suckers
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short for social climber
Etymology
Origin of climber
late Middle English word dating back to 1375–1425; see origin at climb, -er 1
Explanation
A climber is a person who hikes up steep, rocky mountains and hills. If you want to be a mountain climber, you should start with small ones before tackling Mount Everest. Climbers pull themselves up the steep, craggy sides of mountains or practice on rock walls at the gym. A person who aspires to belong to a fancier social group is another kind of climber: "He's hanging out with the rich kids again — I didn't realize he was such a climber." When you're talking about plants, a climber is anything vine-like that grows up structures: "That rose is a climber. It'll cover your fence by the end of the summer."
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
On the same day, Lakpa Sherpa, 52, known as the "Mountain Queen", also broke her own record for the most ascents by a female climber, after her 11th Everest summit.
From BBC • May 18, 2026
A Nepali climber dubbed the "Everest Man", Kami Rita Sherpa, scaled Mount Everest for a record 32nd time Sunday, while Lhakpa Sherpa broke her own women's record with an 11th summit.
From Barron's • May 17, 2026
West Coast climber Jim Whittaker reached the highest point on Earth on May 1, 1963.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 16, 2026
Whittaker, who died April 7 at the age of 97, became the most celebrated American mountain climber of his era.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 15, 2026
She felt like a rock climber facing a sheer cliff, searching for cracks and handholds.
From "Uglies" by Scott Westerfeld
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
