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Glite Dictionary
to rope up

to rope up

1 7.4
Attach yourself to other climbers with ropes for safety
  • phrasal verb
  • Jargon
translation icon : atarse
  • Considering your performance the last time we roped up... I think I'm safer without you.

Examples

  • To avoid accidents on the climb, we always rope up when we reach challenging terrains.

  • He's already roped up.

    Mine Games (2012)

  • If you had roped up to me, I could have kept you alive.

    Seven Years in Tibet (1997)

  • We've got to stop and rope up!

    Rage of the Yeti (2011)

  • We should rope up.

    Seven Years in Tibet (1997)

  • Before we begin the ascent, it's crucial to rope up to ensure everyone's safety.

  • The guide instructed us to rope up as we approached the steep section of the mountain.

Antonyms

to detach
16 4.0

To come apart from something it is connected to

Surface Forms

rope up infinitive
roped up past
roped up past participle
roping up present participle
ropes up third person singular

Morphology

rope + up

The meaning is partly derivable from 'rope' (to tie) combined with 'up' giving a sense of securing or completion, so a learner could reasonably guess it involves tying oneself with rope. However the specific climbing convention of attaching oneself to others for group safety is specialized and not fully predictable from the parts alone, so it is only partially transparent.

Etymology

Rope up comes from climbers literally tying a rope around themselves and linking it up to other climbers so everyone is joined together. That's why it means 'to attach yourself to others with ropes for safety'.