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Glite Dictionary
step ladder

step ladder

1 3.0
A short portable structure with flat steps and two sides joined at the top to form an A shape
  • 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.

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.

    Diana: Almost a Fairytale (2022)

  • 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.

    #FollowMe (2019)

  • 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

ladder
vsstep ladder
202 1.0

A frame with steps used to climb up or down

refers to a portable two section V design with flat steps and a platform
stepladder
vsstep ladder
7 2.9

A small folding tool with steps you climb to reach high places

is shaped as two sections forming an inverted V with a top platform

How High

step ladder
1 3.0
step stool
  • US
2 2.0

Surface Forms

step ladder singular
step ladders plural

Morphology

step + ladder

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.