stirrup

[stur-uhp, stir-, stuhr-] Origin

stir·rup

[stur-uhp, stir-, stuhr-]
noun
1.
a loop, ring, or other contrivance of metal, wood, leather, etc., suspended from the saddle of a horse to support the rider's foot.
2.
any of various similar supports or clamps used for special purposes.
3.
Nautical. a short rope with an eye at the end hung from a yard to support a footrope, the footrope being rove through the eye.
4.
Also called binder. (in reinforced-concrete constructions) a U-shaped or W-shaped bent rod for supporting longitudinal reinforcing rods.
5.
Anatomy. stapes.
EXPAND
6.
a.
a strap of fabric or elastic at the bottom of a pair of pants, worn around and under the foot.
b.
stirrups, (used with a plural verb) close-fitting knit pants with such straps.
COLLAPSE

Origin:
before 1000; Middle English; Old English stigrāp (stige ascent + rāp rope); cognate with German Stegreif

stir·rup·less, adjective
stir·rup·like, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Stirrup is always a great word to know.
So is bezoar. Does it mean:
a calculus or concretion found in the stomach or intestines of certain animals, esp. ruminants, formerly reputed to be an effective remedy for poison.
a screen or mat covered with a dark material for shielding a camera lens from excess light or glare.
Collins
World English Dictionary
stirrup (ˈstɪrəp)
 
n
1.  Also called: stirrup iron either of two metal loops on a riding saddle, with a flat footpiece through which a rider puts his foot for support. They are attached to the saddle by stirrup leathers
2.  a U-shaped support or clamp made of metal, wood, leather, etc
3.  nautical one of a set of ropes fastened to a yard at one end and having a thimble at the other through which a footrope is rove for support
4.  the usual US name for étrier
 
[Old English stigrāp, from stīg path, step (related to Old High German stīgan to move up) + rāprope; related to Old Norse stigreip, Old High German stegareif]

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

stirrup
O.E. stigrap, lit. "climbing rope," from stige "a climbing, ascent" (from P.Gmc. *stigaz "climbing;" see stair) + rap (see rope). Originally a looped rope as a help for mounting. Gmc. cognates include O.N. stigreip, O.H.G. stegareif, Ger. stegreif.
EXPAND
Surgical device used in childbirth, etc., so called from 1884. Stirrup-cup (1681) was a cup of wine or other drink handed to a man already on horseback and setting out on a journey, hence "a parting glass" (cf. Fr. le vin de l'etrier).
COLLAPSE
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Medical Dictionary

stirrup stir·rup (stûr'əp, stĭr'-)
n.
See stapes.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Encyclopedia Britannica
Encyclopedia

stirrup

either of a pair of light frames hung from the saddle attached to the back of an animal-usually a horse or pony. Stirrups are used to support a rider's feet in riding and to aid in mounting. Stirrups probably originated in the Asian steppes about the 2nd century BC. They enormously increased the military value of the horse

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Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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