stirrup
Americannoun
-
stirrups
plural
-
a loop, ring, or other contrivance of metal, wood, leather, etc., suspended from the saddle of a horse to support the rider's foot.
-
any of various similar supports or clamps used for special purposes.
-
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.
-
Also called binder. (in reinforced-concrete constructions) a U -shaped or W -shaped bent rod for supporting longitudinal reinforcing rods.
-
Anatomy. stapes.
-
-
a strap of fabric or elastic at the bottom of a pair of pants, worn around and under the foot.
-
(used with a plural verb) stirrups, close-fitting knit pants with such straps.
-
noun
-
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
-
a U-shaped support or clamp made of metal, wood, leather, etc
-
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
-
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
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Chinese History - Middle School and High School
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
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.
See Examples For:
At the farm, he leaves a foot between rows of Allium to allow for easy weeding with the six-inch blade of a stirrup hoe.
From Seattle Times ● Jan. 31, 2024
The aptly named stapes looks very much like a stirrup.
From Textbooks ● Jun. 9, 2022
The stitching stiffened the shaft, while the smooth sole and high heel let the foot slide easily into the stirrup and remain there.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2018
As a kid, I had a pair of her plaid stirrup pants — with her name on the label — that I bought at the old Flip on 8th Street.
From New York Times ● Mar. 14, 2018
In a second he was up again—the Wart was convinced that the spectacles must be broken—and hopping round the white horse with one foot in the stirrup.
From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White
Rigid wooden saddles, which were much sturdier, paired with stirrups opened a new range of things that people could do with horses.
From Science Daily ● Dec. 12, 2023
Her clinic has three patient beds and a birthing room with a bare mattress, stirrups and a single IV pole.
From Salon ● Feb. 27, 2023
One piece, a more than 150-year-old Native American women’s saddle from the Crow tribe, features elaborate beadwork on the stirrups and around the seat.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 16, 2022
For the biopsy, she was placed in stirrups and given a spinal epidural to numb the area.
From New York Times ● Oct. 17, 2022
Jockey Johnny Long- den was once rammed in midrace, knocked from his stirrups and sent flying downward in front of a pack of horses.
From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand
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.
