rope

[ rohp ]

/ roʊp /

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See synonyms for: rope / roped / ropes / roping on Thesaurus.com

noun

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.

verb (used with object), roped, rop·ing.

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.

verb (used without object), roped, rop·ing.

to be drawn out into a filament of thread; become ropy.

Verb Phrases

rope in, Informal. to lure or entice, especially by employing deception: The swindler had roped in a number of gullible persons.

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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

First recorded before 900; Middle English noun rop(e), rap(e), Old English rāp; cognate with Dutch reep, German Reif; verb derivative of the noun

OTHER WORDS FROM rope

roper, nounropelike, adjectiveun·roped, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use rope in a sentence

Traversal in “Syndicate” shines with the grapple-gun, a device that shoots rope out of your arm.
All the ‘Assassin’s Creed’ games, ranked|Elise Favis, Gene Park|November 11, 2020|Washington Post
The Hainan gibbons’ adoption of the bridge suggests that other primates may also use rope bridges in fragmented forests, says Susan Cheyne.
Analyze This: Ropes restore a gibbon highway through a rainforest|Carolyn Wilke|November 11, 2020|Science News For Students
The narrow rope fills cracks ¼ inch to ½ inch wide, and the wider rope fills cracks ½ inch to one inch wide.
Why is it so expensive to patch an asphalt driveway?|Jeanne Huber|November 9, 2020|Washington Post
She returned two weeks later, again with Honnold, but took a terrible fall on the first pitch, which ultimately sent her to the hospital with a severe rope burn across her neck.
Behind the Scenes of Emily Harrington's Historic Climb|Andrew Bisharat|November 6, 2020|Outside Online

This is the mussel’s attachment to the rocks or rope or whatever it was growing on.
Mussels are simple to prepare, and add tasty drama to the table|Martha Holmberg|October 29, 2020|Washington Post
Bud reminded her that she had not done any cursing at the time, being in his opinion too busy roping him in to support her.
Cabin Fever|B. M. Bower
The cowmen were roping and rushing the stock that did not belong to them.
The Pony Rider Boys in Texas|Frank Gee Patchin
There the foreman waited until the lad had gotten within roping distance.
The Pony Rider Boys in Texas|Frank Gee Patchin
When it comes to putting my wits against a spook place, I'm beyond roping distance.
The Pony Rider Boys in Texas|Frank Gee Patchin
Roping up, we made an ascent half-way to the top which rose five hundred feet and commanded a grand panorama of glacier and coast.
The Home of the Blizzard|Douglas Mawson

British Dictionary definitions for rope

rope

/ (rəʊp) /

noun

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 linea 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 glutinousa 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

verb

(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

Word Origin for rope

Old English rāp; related to Old Saxon rēp, Old High German reif

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

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

rope

Idioms about rope

Origin of rope

OTHER WORDS FROM rope

Words related to rope

How to use rope in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for rope

Word Origin for rope

Other Idioms and Phrases with rope