stepladder

American

[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.

stepladder British

/ 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

Etymology

Origin of stepladder

First recorded in 1745–55; step + ladder

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.

As Deby had not long moved into her house, she had used a stepladder to strip wallpaper but that and a few foil blankets became the basis of her lunar lander.

From BBC • Apr. 22, 2026

A small stepladder with three steps bisects the bunks.

From Washington Post • Apr. 12, 2023

One wonders how many of the complainers who aren't pregnant get dizzy on the top rung of a kitchen stepladder.

From Salon • Feb. 17, 2023

They sprung into action and found it on a stepladder where I had apparently set it while looking at Halloween cards for my grandchildren.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 26, 2022

The familiar sweet perfume spreading from the fire met their nostrils as they emerged at the top of the stepladder.

From "Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire" by J. K. Rowling

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023