monkey ladder
- noun
- Specialized
:
escalera de mono
- The crew climbed the monkey ladder up to the monkey bridge for a better view of the harbor.
Examples
-
The crew used a monkey ladder to reach the upper deck.
-
Make sure the monkey ladder is securely fastened before you start your ascent.
-
He lost his grip as he was going down the monkey ladder in rough seas.
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I saw the monkey ladder leaning against the ship.
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Make sure the monkey ladder is securely fastened before you start your ascent.
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The crew climbed the monkey ladder up to the monkey bridge for a better view of the harbor.
-
He lost his grip as he was going down the monkey ladder in rough seas.
Synonyms
1
9.1
A stair or ladder on a ship that people use to go between decks
A hanging ladder made of rope or chain with wooden rungs used on ships
A rope ladder with wooden or metal steps that you use to board a ship from a small boat
A vertical passage with a ladder for moving between levels in ships or buildings
How Narrow
Surface Forms
Morphology
monkey + ladder
The constituent 'ladder' makes the core meaning (a type of ladder) immediately clear, so a learner would infer it's some kind of ladder. However, 'monkey' here is a specialized nautical term (as in 'monkey bridge') and does not transparently signal the narrow, ship-specific function; the exact maritime sense is unpredictable without exposure. Because part of the meaning is recoverable from the parts but the key usage is specialized and not directly inferable, this is best classified as semi-transparent.
Etymology
Monkey ladder may come from the picture of sailors climbing a thin, swinging ladder like a monkey to reach the 'monkey bridge'. That's why it means a light, narrow 'ladder' used to climb up on a ship.