steps consisting of two parallel members connected by rungs; for climbing up or down
"The firefighters climbed the ladder to reach the burning roof."
A frame, usually portable, of wood, metal, or rope, used for ascent and descent, consisting of two side pieces to which are fastened rungs (cross strips or rounds acting as steps).
"The painter climbed the wooden ladder to reach the roof."
In plain English: A ladder is a long tool with steps that you climb to reach high places when stairs are not available.
"The man climbed the ladder to hang decorations on the roof."
Usage: Use "ladder" as a noun when referring to the portable frame with rungs designed for climbing up or down structures like walls or roofs. As a verb, it describes arranging items in parallel rows that resemble this structure.
To arrange or form into a shape of a ladder.
"The children arranged their chairs in two parallel rows to create a ladder formation."
In plain English: To ladder means to move up and down quickly, often by jumping from rung to rung on something tall.
"She decided to ladder her investments into more stable bonds before the market crashed."
The word ladder comes from Old English hlǣder and ultimately traces back to a Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to lean." It entered the language with its current sense of a stepped structure used for climbing up or down.