stepladder

[ step-lad-er ]
/ ˈstɛpˌlæd ər /

noun

a ladder having flat steps or treads in place of rungs.
any ladder, especially a tall one with a hinged frame opening up to form four supporting legs.

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What does “barren” mean?
a cylindrical wooden container with slightly bulging sides.
Worn down by dullness, tedious repetition.
unproductive; unfruitful
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Origin of stepladder

First recorded in 1745–55; step + ladder

Words nearby stepladder

Stephen VIII, Stephenville, step-in, step into, step into someone's shoes, stepladder, stepmother, Stepney, step-off, step-on, Step on a crack, break your mother's back
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for stepladder

British Dictionary definitions for stepladder

stepladder
/ (ˈstɛpˌlædə) /

noun

a folding portable ladder that is made of broad flat steps fixed to a supporting frame hinged at the top to another supporting frame
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