stirrup
Americannoun
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a loop, ring, or other contrivance of metal, wood, leather, etc., suspended from the saddle of a horse to support the rider's foot.
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any of various similar supports or clamps used for special purposes.
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Nautical. a short rope with an eye at the end hung from a yard to support a footrope, the footrope being rove through the eye.
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Also called binder. (in reinforced-concrete constructions) a U -shaped or W -shaped bent rod for supporting longitudinal reinforcing rods.
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Anatomy. stapes.
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a strap of fabric or elastic at the bottom of a pair of pants, worn around and under the foot.
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(used with a plural verb) stirrups, close-fitting knit pants with such straps.
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noun
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Also called: stirrup iron. either of two metal loops on a riding saddle, with a flat footpiece through which a rider puts his foot for support. They are attached to the saddle by stirrup leathers
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a U-shaped support or clamp made of metal, wood, leather, etc
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nautical one of a set of ropes fastened to a yard at one end and having a thimble at the other through which a footrope is rove for support
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the usual US name for étrier
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of stirrup
before 1000; Middle English; Old English stigrāp ( stige ascent + rāp rope ); cognate with German Stegreif
Vocabulary lists containing stirrup
Chinese History - Introductory
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Chinese History - Middle School and High School
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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.
But one boot has slipped from its stirrup.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 2, 2026
A safety stirrup, which creates a step out of a leash, may be helpful.
From Seattle Times • Aug. 8, 2022
The aptly named stapes looks very much like a stirrup.
From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022
The saddle had to be the 1885 McClellan style, and the flag anchor in the rider’s right stirrup from 1904.
From Washington Post • May 27, 2021
Eilonwy, who proudly insisted she enjoyed running, clung to Melyngar’s stirrup.
From "The Book of Three" by Lloyd Alexander
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
