step ladder
1
3.0
- noun
- /ˈstɛp ˈlædər/
:
escalera de tijera
- To change the light bulb, he had to use a step ladder to reach the ceiling.
- climb a step ladder
- a wooden step ladder
- get a step ladder
You heard me that tough guys at OSHA were finally treating the plague with the same seriousness as not being able to stand on the last rung of a step ladder.
- You heard me that tough guys at OSHA were finally treating the plague with the same seriousness as not being able to stand on the last rung of a step ladder.
Examples
-
A nurse brings over a small step-ladder.
Fiction book (1996) -
- Sure, we humans can't fly or lift cars or reach the top shelf without a step ladder.
-
Her bed was so high that she had to climb on a step ladder to get into it.
Fiction book (1993) -
I'm actually gonna need a step-ladder to get on.
-
He pulled over a rolling step ladder and climbed up.
Fiction book (1999) -
I find the new teacher wobbling atop a step ladder.
Fiction book (1992) -
Now contestants run out carrying small wooden step ladders.
Fiction book (1999) -
Contestants, in "physical fitness" outfits, wait outside the double doors, holding freshly painted red, white, and blue step ladders.
Fiction book (1999) -
She had laid boards onto the base of the cream separator for a makeshift step ladder.
Blog text (24) -
He didn't get hurt on the extension ladder; however, it happened on the wooden step ladder while he was scraping the ceiling of the porch.
Fiction book (1991)
Synonyms
202
1.0
A frame with steps used to climb up or down
7
2.9
A small folding tool with steps you climb to reach high places
How High
Surface Forms
Morphology
The noun 'step ladder' is directly compositional: 'step' (flat surface for a foot) combined with 'ladder' (a frame for climbing) yields a ladder that has steps rather than rungs. This standard compound-noun formation is predictable and cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows both words would readily infer the MWE's meaning.
Etymology
Step ladder is a name for a small ladder that makes a clear picture: it has flat steps to stand on and two sides that open so it can stand by itself. So the name links the flat steps and the idea of a 'stand-alone' ladder, which is why step ladder means a short, foldable ladder you can carry to reach high places.