rope
a strong, thick line or cord, commonly one composed of twisted or braided strands of hemp, flax, or the like, or of wire or other material.
a lasso.
ropes,
the cords used to enclose a prize ring or other space.
Informal. the operations of a business or the details of any undertaking: The new employee didn't take long to learn the ropes.
a hangman's noose, halter, or cord.
the sentence or punishment of death by hanging.
a quantity of material or a number of things twisted or strung together in the form of a cord: a rope of tobacco.
a stringy, viscid, or glutinous formation in a liquid: ropes of slime.
to tie, bind, or fasten with a rope.
to enclose, partition, or mark off with a rope or ropes (often followed by off).
to catch with a lasso; lasso.
Nautical. to reinforce (a sail or awning) with a boltrope.
rope in, Informal. to lure or entice, especially by employing deception: The swindler had roped in a number of gullible persons.
Idioms about rope
at the end of one's rope, at the end of one's endurance or means; at the limit: With all her savings gone and bills piling up, she was at the end of her rope.
give someone enough rope, to allow a person complete freedom to continue their misdeeds in hope that retribution will follow.
on the ropes,
Boxing. in a defenseless position, as leaning against the ropes to keep from falling.
Informal. in a desperate or hopeless position; close to defeat or failure: By repeatedly undercutting his prices, his competitors soon had him on the ropes.
Origin of rope
1Other words from rope
- roper, noun
- ropelike, adjective
- un·roped, adjective
Words Nearby rope
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use rope in a sentence
Serrations are designed to cut rope or cord but also reduce the portion of a blade that can be used to perform other cutting tasks, and they’re difficult to sharpen.
Three Questions to Ask Yourself Before Buying a Knife | Wes Siler | September 3, 2020 | Outside OnlineIn traditional cultures, this might involve things like making rope, gathering and processing food, constructing houses, and firing pottery.
If you’re looking for indoor activities, think about streaming a yoga class or finding a jump rope.
How to cope as COVID-19 imposes social distancing | Sheila Mulrooney Eldred | March 23, 2020 | Science News For StudentsIf you shake it up and down, you create a wave, with the rope as your medium.
Explainer: Understanding waves and wavelengths | Jennifer Look | March 5, 2020 | Science News For StudentsThe piece of rope touching your hand doesn’t move away from your hand.
Explainer: Understanding waves and wavelengths | Jennifer Look | March 5, 2020 | Science News For Students
She tugged on the black rope that wrapped around his thighs and torso, her leather gloves creaking with each adjustment.
Dungeons and Genital Clamps: Inside a Legendary BDSM Chateau | Ian Frisch | December 20, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST“I like decorating my slaves,” she said, referencing the rope, her thin, crimson-coated lips peeling off her front teeth.
Dungeons and Genital Clamps: Inside a Legendary BDSM Chateau | Ian Frisch | December 20, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTFrom the roof of the barn is a long loop of rope, through this the turkey is suspended by its legs.
Clinton, meanwhile, spent several minutes greeting audience members along the rope line and posing for cellphone selfies.
Hillary Clinton Basks in Labor’s Love: ‘This Is Like a Homecoming!’ | David Freedlander | September 16, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTAfter all, what politician blurts out a major life decision while working a rope line?
Bill Clinton's McConnell Attack May Be What We'll Remember From the Steak Fry | Ben Jacobs | September 15, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTIt occurred to him then, for the first time, that a third resource was open—he might cut the rope, and let the kite go free!
The Giant of the North | R.M. BallantyneOnce the rope got tangled around Squinty's foot, and he jumped over it to get free.
Squinty the Comical Pig | Richard BarnumAll this while Squinty was chewing on the apple which he had picked up from the ground after he had jumped over the rope.
Squinty the Comical Pig | Richard BarnumEvery few days after that the boy took Squinty out of his pen, and let him do the rope-jumping and the acorn-hunting tricks.
Squinty the Comical Pig | Richard BarnumAnd it did not take Squinty long to learn to jump the rope when there was no apple on the other side.
Squinty the Comical Pig | Richard Barnum
British Dictionary definitions for rope
/ (rəʊp) /
a fairly thick cord made of twisted and intertwined hemp or other fibres or of wire or other strong material
(as modifier): a rope bridge; a rope ladder
a row of objects fastened or united to form a line: a rope of pearls; a rope of onions
a quantity of material twisted or wound in the form of a cord
anything in the form of a filament or strand, esp something viscous or glutinous: a rope of slime
the rope
a rope, noose, or halter used for hanging
death by hanging, strangling, etc
give someone enough rope to hang himself to allow someone to accomplish his own downfall by his own foolish acts
know the ropes
to have a thorough understanding of a particular sphere of activity
to be experienced in the ways of the world
on the ropes
boxing driven against the ropes enclosing the ring by an opponent's attack
in a defenceless or hopeless position
(tr) to bind or fasten with or as if with a rope
(tr usually foll by off) to enclose or divide by means of a rope
(intr) to become extended in a long filament or thread
(when intr , foll by up) mountaineering to tie (climbers) together with a rope
Origin of rope
1- See also rope in
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
Other Idioms and Phrases with rope
In addition to the idiom beginning with rope
- rope in
also see:
- end of one's rope
- enough rope
- (show someone) know the ropes
- on the ropes
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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