rope
a strong, thick line or cord, commonly one composed of twisted or braided strands of hemp, flax, or the like, or of wire or other material.
a lasso.
ropes,
the cords used to enclose a prize ring or other space.
Informal. the operations of a business or the details of any undertaking: The new employee didn't take long to learn the ropes.
a hangman's noose, halter, or cord.
the sentence or punishment of death by hanging.
a quantity of material or a number of things twisted or strung together in the form of a cord: a rope of tobacco.
a stringy, viscid, or glutinous formation in a liquid: ropes of slime.
to tie, bind, or fasten with a rope.
to enclose, partition, or mark off with a rope or ropes (often followed by off).
to catch with a lasso; lasso.
Nautical. to reinforce (a sail or awning) with a boltrope.
rope in, Informal. to lure or entice, especially by employing deception: The swindler had roped in a number of gullible persons.
Idioms about rope
at the end of one's rope, at the end of one's endurance or means; at the limit: With all her savings gone and bills piling up, she was at the end of her rope.
give someone enough rope, to allow a person complete freedom to continue their misdeeds in hope that retribution will follow.
on the ropes,
Boxing. in a defenseless position, as leaning against the ropes to keep from falling.
Informal. in a desperate or hopeless position; close to defeat or failure: By repeatedly undercutting his prices, his competitors soon had him on the ropes.
Origin of rope
1Other words from rope
- roper, noun
- ropelike, adjective
- un·roped, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use rope in a sentence
Traversal in “Syndicate” shines with the grapple-gun, a device that shoots rope out of your arm.
All the ‘Assassin’s Creed’ games, ranked | Elise Favis, Gene Park | November 11, 2020 | Washington PostThe Hainan gibbons’ adoption of the bridge suggests that other primates may also use rope bridges in fragmented forests, says Susan Cheyne.
Analyze This: Ropes restore a gibbon highway through a rainforest | Carolyn Wilke | November 11, 2020 | Science News For StudentsThe narrow rope fills cracks ¼ inch to ½ inch wide, and the wider rope fills cracks ½ inch to one inch wide.
Why is it so expensive to patch an asphalt driveway? | Jeanne Huber | November 9, 2020 | Washington PostShe returned two weeks later, again with Honnold, but took a terrible fall on the first pitch, which ultimately sent her to the hospital with a severe rope burn across her neck.
Behind the Scenes of Emily Harrington's Historic Climb | Andrew Bisharat | November 6, 2020 | Outside OnlineThis is the mussel’s attachment to the rocks or rope or whatever it was growing on.
Mussels are simple to prepare, and add tasty drama to the table | Martha Holmberg | October 29, 2020 | Washington Post
Bud reminded her that she had not done any cursing at the time, being in his opinion too busy roping him in to support her.
Cabin Fever | B. M. BowerThe cowmen were roping and rushing the stock that did not belong to them.
The Pony Rider Boys in Texas | Frank Gee PatchinThere the foreman waited until the lad had gotten within roping distance.
The Pony Rider Boys in Texas | Frank Gee PatchinWhen it comes to putting my wits against a spook place, I'm beyond roping distance.
The Pony Rider Boys in Texas | Frank Gee PatchinRoping up, we made an ascent half-way to the top which rose five hundred feet and commanded a grand panorama of glacier and coast.
The Home of the Blizzard | Douglas Mawson
British Dictionary definitions for rope
/ (rəʊp) /
a fairly thick cord made of twisted and intertwined hemp or other fibres or of wire or other strong material
(as modifier): a rope bridge; a rope ladder
a row of objects fastened or united to form a line: a rope of pearls; a rope of onions
a quantity of material twisted or wound in the form of a cord
anything in the form of a filament or strand, esp something viscous or glutinous: a rope of slime
the rope
a rope, noose, or halter used for hanging
death by hanging, strangling, etc
give someone enough rope to hang himself to allow someone to accomplish his own downfall by his own foolish acts
know the ropes
to have a thorough understanding of a particular sphere of activity
to be experienced in the ways of the world
on the ropes
boxing driven against the ropes enclosing the ring by an opponent's attack
in a defenceless or hopeless position
(tr) to bind or fasten with or as if with a rope
(tr usually foll by off) to enclose or divide by means of a rope
(intr) to become extended in a long filament or thread
(when intr , foll by up) mountaineering to tie (climbers) together with a rope
Origin of rope
1- See also rope in
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
Other Idioms and Phrases with rope
In addition to the idiom beginning with rope
- rope in
also see:
- end of one's rope
- enough rope
- (show someone) know the ropes
- on the ropes
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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