ramp

[ ramp ]

/ ræmp /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR ramp ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a sloping surface connecting two levels; incline.

a short concave slope or bend, as one connecting the higher and lower parts of a staircase railing at a landing.

any extensive sloping walk or passageway.

the act of ramping.

Also called boarding ramp. a movable staircase for entering or leaving a cabin door of an airplane.

Also called parking ramp. apron(def 6).

verb (used without object)

(of animals) to stand or move with the forelegs or arms raised, as in animosity or excitement.

(of a lion or other large quadruped represented on a coat of arms) to rise or stand on the hind legs.

to rear as if to spring.

to leap or dash with fury (often followed by about).

to act violently; rage; storm: ramping and raging in a great fury.

verb (used with object)

to provide with a ramp or ramps: Entrances will be ramped to accommodate those in wheelchairs.

Verb Phrases

ramp along, Nautical. to sail on a tack with all sails filled.

Nearby words

ramos, ramos gin fizz, ramos-horta, ramose, ramous, ramp, ramp down, ramp up, rampage, rampageous, rampancy

Origin of ramp

1350–1400; (v.) Middle English rampen < Old French ramper to creep, crawl, climb; (noun) < French rampe, derivative of ramper

Related forms

ramp·ing·ly, adverbun·ramped, adjective

Definition for ramp (2 of 2)

ramp

[ ramp ]

/ ræmp /

noun Usually ramps.

a wild onion, Allium tricoccum, of the amaryllis family, of eastern North America, having flat leaves and rounded clusters of whitish flowers; eaten raw or used as a flavoring in cooked foods.

Origin of ramp

1530–40; back formation from ramps ramson, variant (with intrusive p) of rams, earlier rammys, orig. the singular of ramson

Also called wild leek.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for ramp

Jimbo and I walked up its ramp and into the hull, which looked like the gutted inside of a school bus.
I Shot Bin Laden|Elliot Ackerman|November 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Jimbo and I headed towards the ramp when the crew chief grabbed us.
I Shot Bin Laden|Elliot Ackerman|November 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Jaffe calls the approach “an off ramp before jail, a fence at the edge of the cliff rather than an ambulance at the bottom.”
SB Shooting Prompts Question: Should Parents of Mentally Ill Adults Be Able To Commit Them?|Eleanor Clift|May 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Led by the color guard, and several chaplains, the detail shuffle-stepped toward the plane and up the ramp.
How the Dead Come Home From Afghanistan|Nick Willard|May 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST

The ramp opened to a spring breeze and a view of snowcapped mountains.
How I’ll End the War: My First Week Back in Afghanistan|Nick Willard|May 1, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It was only about a 12-foot ramp there that he had to guard.
Warren Commission (12 of 26): Hearings Vol. XII (of 15)|The President's Commission on the Assassination of President Kennedy
He emerged on the ramp, gave his number to the attendant, and waved at Bill in his office.
This Crowded Earth|Robert Bloch
He grabbed her hand and set off at a run for the bottom of the ramp.
Space Tug|Murray Leinster
Bram led the way up the ramp, and the three stepped through a gap in the rocks and found themselves on an extensive prairie.
Astounding Stories of Super-Science January 1930|Victor Rousseau
A midget auto came skidding down the pirate ship's ramp, its driver standing on the accelerator.
This One Problem|M. C. Pease

British Dictionary definitions for ramp

ramp

/ (ræmp) /

noun

a sloping floor, path, etc, that joins two surfaces at different levels

a movable stairway by which passengers enter and leave an aircraft

the act of ramping

British slang a swindle, esp one involving exorbitant prices

another name for sleeping policeman

verb

(intr ; often foll by about or around) (esp of animals) to rush around in a wild excited manner

to act in a violent or threatening manner, as when angry (esp in the phrase ramp and rage)

(tr) finance to buy (a security) in the market with the object of raising its price and enhancing the image of the company behind it for financial gain

Word Origin for ramp

C18 (n): from C13 rampe, from Old French ramper to crawl or rear, probably of Germanic origin; compare Middle Low German ramp cramp

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