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Glite Dictionary
🧗 To go down rope 🧗 A rope descent
rappel

rappel

1 8.4
A controlled descent down a cliff or rock face using a rope
  • noun
  • /ræˈpɛl/
  • Specialized
translation icon : rappel
  • The climbers secured their gear and prepared for the challenging rappel down the steep cliff face.
  • a foot rappel
  • rappel rope
  • rappel down

Examples

  • Each successful rappel through the narrow crevice made the team more excited about their adventure.

  • Hey, set up a rappel line.

    Within (2005)

  • The rappel begins at 9 AM.

    Blog text (12)

  • Left the rappel gear down near the bridge.

    First Daughter (1999)

  • A quick multiple-rappel descent of the north face was our best option.

    Fiction book (1996)

  • Guidebook says four and a half hours to the big-drop rappel.

    127 Hours (2010)

  • We made a series of six long rappels, and finally the slope decreased—we found deep snow.

    Fiction book (1996)

  • After several practice sessions, she felt confident enough to attempt her first rappel during the mountaineering course.

Synonyms

abseil
vsrappel
  • UK
9.4

A careful way of going down a steep cliff or wall using a rope

uses wrapping the rope around the body for control in climbing

How Controlled

rappel
  • Specialized
1 8.4
lowering
2.5
descent
89 3.7
slide
5 1.0

Surface Forms

rappel singular
rappels plural

Etymology

Rappel comes from the French verb rappeler, made of re- 'again' and appeler 'to call', like the English word recall. Imagine being 'called back' down a cliff by a rope, so a rappel is a careful descent down a wall while you use a rope.