stepladder

American

[step-lad-er] / ˈstɛpˌlæd ər /

noun

a ladder having flat steps or treads in place of rungs.
any ladder, especially a tall one with a hinged frame opening up to form four supporting legs.

stepladder British

/ ˈstɛpˌlædə /

noun

a folding portable ladder that is made of broad flat steps fixed to a supporting frame hinged at the top to another supporting frame

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of stepladder

First recorded in 1745–55; step + ladder

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

I grab the stepladder, as well as a hammer and a nail or two.

From Literature

“Why, I saw her just this morning acting as a stepladder for the little ones to get to the high branch of the elm!”

From Literature

I climbed on the stepladder and took the saw off the wall.

From Literature

For days afterward, Medina sifted through the burned-out garage for his angle saws and stepladders, but they had all been destroyed.

From Los Angeles Times

We use a stepladder from the receiving room to bring down some gems.

From Seattle Times

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023