Word Study
climb
CIDE DICTIONARY
climb, v. i. [AS. climban; akin to OHG. chlimban, G. & D. klimmen, Icel. klīfa, and E. cleave to adhere.].
- To ascend or mount laboriously, esp. by use of the hands and feet. [1913 Webster]
- To ascend as if with effort; to rise to a higher point. [1913 Webster]"Black vapors climb aloft, and cloud the day." [1913 Webster]
- To ascend or creep upward by twining about a support, or by attaching itself by tendrils, rootlets, etc., to a support or upright surface. [1913 Webster]
climb, v. t.
To ascend, as by means of the hands and feet, or laboriously or slowly; to mount. [1913 Webster]
climb, n.
The act of one who climbs; ascent by climbing. Warburton. [1913 Webster]
OXFORD DICTIONARY
climb, v. & n.
--v.
1 tr. & intr. (often foll. by up) ascend, mount, go or come up, esp. by using one's hands.
2 intr. (of a plant) grow up a wall, tree, trellis, etc. by clinging with tendrils or by twining.
3 intr. make progress from one's own efforts, esp. in social rank, intellectual or moral strength, etc.
4 intr. (of an aircraft, the sun, etc.) go upwards.
5 intr. slope upwards.
--n.
1 an ascent by climbing.
2 a a place, esp. a hill, climbed or to be climbed. b a recognized route up a mountain etc.
--v.
1 tr. & intr. (often foll. by up) ascend, mount, go or come up, esp. by using one's hands.
2 intr. (of a plant) grow up a wall, tree, trellis, etc. by clinging with tendrils or by twining.
3 intr. make progress from one's own efforts, esp. in social rank, intellectual or moral strength, etc.
4 intr. (of an aircraft, the sun, etc.) go upwards.
5 intr. slope upwards.
--n.
1 an ascent by climbing.
2 a a place, esp. a hill, climbed or to be climbed. b a recognized route up a mountain etc.
Idiom
climb down
1 descend with the help of one's hands.
2 withdraw from a stance taken up in argument, negotiation, etc. climb-down n. such a withdrawal. climbing-frame a structure of joined bars etc. for children to climb on. climbing-iron a set of spikes attachable to a boot for climbing trees or ice slopes.
1 descend with the help of one's hands.
2 withdraw from a stance taken up in argument, negotiation, etc. climb-down n. such a withdrawal. climbing-frame a structure of joined bars etc. for children to climb on. climbing-iron a set of spikes attachable to a boot for climbing trees or ice slopes.
Derivative
climbable adj.
Etymology
OE climban f. WG, rel. to CLEAVE(2)
THESAURUS
climb
abandon, abruptness, acclivity, advance, anabasis, arise, ascend, ascension, ascent, back, back up, bank, budge, cant, careen, chandelle, change, change place, circle, clamber, clamber up, climb down, climb over, climb up, climbing, crawl, creep, decline, descend, descent, dip, drop, ebb, edge, elevation, escalade, escalate, fall, fall away, fall off, flow, fountain, gain altitude, get over, give up, go, go around, go down, go downhill, go round, go sideways, go up, go uphill, grade, grow, gush, gyrate, gyring up, hoick, inch, incline, increase, jet, jump, keel, lean, leap, levitation, list, mount, mounting, move, move over, pitch, plunge, precipitousness, progress, rake, ramp, regress, renounce, retreat, retrogress, rise, rising, rising ground, rocketing up, rotate, route, run, saltation, scale, scale the heights, scrabble up, scramble up, shelve, shift, shin, shin up, shinny, shooting up, sidle, sink, slant, slope, soar, soaring, spin, spout, spring, spurt, steepness, stir, stream, struggle up, subside, surge, surmount, swag, sway, takeoff, taking off, tilt, tip, trail, travel, twine, upclimb, upcoming, updraft, upgang, upgo, upgoing, upgrade, upgrowth, uphill, upleap, uplift, upping, uprisal, uprise, uprising, uprush, upshoot, upslope, upsurge, upsurgence, upsweep, upswing, vault, verticalness, wane, whirl, withdraw from, zoom, zoomingROGET THESAURUS
climb
Ascent
VB ascend, rise, mount, arise, uprise, go up, get up, work one's way up, start up, shoot up, go into orbit, float up, bubble up, aspire, climb, clamber, ramp, scramble, escalade, surmount, shin, shinny, shinney, scale, scale the heights, raise, elevate, go aloft, fly aloft, tower, soar, take off, spring up, pop up, jump up, catapult upwards, explode upwards, hover, spire, plane, swim, float, surge, leap.For further exploring for "climb" in Webster Dictionary Online
