stepladder

American  

[step-lad-er] / ˈstɛpˌlæd ər /

noun

1. a ladder having flat steps or treads in place of rungs.

2. any ladder, especially a tall one with a hinged frame opening up to form four supporting legs.

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stepladder British  

/ ˈstɛpˌlædə /

noun

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

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Etymology

Origin of stepladder

First recorded in 1745–55; step + ladder

Example Sentences

We use a stepladder from the receiving room to bring down some gems.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 22, 2023

At the first station, she parked, put on her flashers, then got out a roll of aluminum duct tape and a folding stepladder.

From Slate • Jul. 30, 2022

Use a stepladder if you can’t easily reach the top.

From Washington Post • Mar. 21, 2022

“The stepladder is a positive object,” says the artist Woody De Othello in the Richmond, Calif., studio where he makes his vibrant bronze and ceramic sculptures.

From New York Times • Mar. 17, 2022

The blade was scrubbed, rinsed, dried, folded, and stowed away in a cupboard with the aid of a stepladder.

From "Interpreter of Maladies" by Jhumpa Lahiri