a piece of equipment for climbing up and down a wall, the side of a building, etc., consisting of two lengths of wood or metal that are joined together by steps or rungs 梯子 
to climb up/fall off a ladder 爬上／跌下梯子
Extra ExamplesTopics Houses and homesb2, Buildingsb2He went up the ladder onto the deck. 他沿着梯子上了甲板。 I was standing lower down the ladder. 我正站在梯子下端。 Several of the ladder's rungs were broken. 这架梯子有好几根横档断了。 She was up a ladder fixing the roof. 她在梯子上修理房顶。 We put up the ladder against the wall. 我们把梯子靠墙支起来。 We put up the ladder and went to get the paint. 我们支好梯子，去拿油漆。
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- rickety
- metal
- wooden
- …
- ascend
- clamber up
- climb
- …
- on a/the ladder
- up a/the ladder
- down a/the ladder
- …
- the bottom of a ladder
- the foot of a ladder
- the top of a ladder
- …
- [usually singular]
a series of stages by which you can make progress in your life or career （生活上进步或事业上晋升的）阶梯，途径 to move up or down the social ladder 爬上或跌下社会阶梯 the career ladder 事业上的阶梯 - (British English)
to get onto the property ladder (= buy your first home) 首次购房
Extra ExamplesHis good looks helped him on the ladder to success. 他的英俊长相帮助他踏上了成功的阶梯。 She was anxious to move up the promotion ladder. 她渴望得到晋升。 creatures higher up the evolutionary ladder 处于进化较高阶段的生物 helping her on the ladder to success 帮助她踏上通向成功的途径 the ladder of fame 成名的阶梯 the old problem of how to get onto the first step on the ladder 如何踏上晋升阶梯的第一步这一老问题 the people at the top of the social ladder 处于社会最上层的人 Ann is on the bottom rung of the promotional ladder. 安在晋升阶梯的最底层。 He progressed up the ladder and is now a partner in the firm. 他步步高升，现在是公司的合伙人。 How quickly you move up the career ladder depends largely on your level of commitment. 你在事业阶梯上晋升的快慢主要取决于你对工作的投入程度。 Humans are relative newcomers on the evolutionary ladder. 人类是进化阶梯上相对较新的物种。 I started out at the very bottom of the ladder. 我从最底层开始。 It is increasingly difficult for young people to get on the housing ladder. 年轻人越来越难登上住房阶梯。 She was not interested in climbing the corporate ladder. 她无意在公司里往上爬。
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- economic
- evolutionary
- social
- …
- ascend
- climb
- move up
- …
- higher up the ladder
- lower down the ladder
- ladder of
- …
- get one foot on the ladder
- have one foot on the ladder
- a rung on the ladder
- …
- (British English) (North American English run)
a long, thin hole in tights or stockings where some threads have broken （紧身裤袜或长筒袜的）滑丝，抽丝 I've got a ladder in my new tights. 我的新紧身衣里有一个梯子。
- (also ladder tournament)
a competition in a particular sport or game in which teams or players are arranged in a list and they can move up the list by defeating one of the teams or players above 升级比赛，升级游戏（将参赛者排名，胜者名次前提） He’s third on the tennis ladder at work. 他是工作中的第三名。
Word OriginOld English hlǣd(d)er, of West Germanic origin; related to Dutch leer and German Leiter.