Ropes

How to spell ropes

5 letters · 1 syllable

How to pronounce ropes

What does ropes mean?

1. nounLengths of strong, thick cord made by twisting fibres or strands together.
2. verbBinds, ties, or secures something with rope (third-person singular).

Ropes in a sentence

• noun

  The climbers checked their ropes before the ascent.

• verb

  The rancher always ropes the calf quickly during branding.

• noun

  The removal crew used sturdy ropes to secure the furniture in the van.

• verb

  She ropes the tarpaulin to the roof rack whenever it rains.

Where does ropes come from?

Language of origin: Germanic

This is the plural and present-tense form of 'rope', which descends from the Old English word rap, meaning a thick, strong cord. That word came from a common Germanic root, seen also in the Old Norse reip and the Dutch reep, all describing a length of twisted fibre. The sense has stayed remarkably stable for over a thousand years, always pointing to a strong cord made by twisting strands together. The familiar phrase 'to learn the ropes' is nautical, coming from the days of sailing ships when a competent sailor had to know the function of every line in the rigging. Because the word is short and phonetically regular, the only thing to watch is the silent 'e' carrying over before the plural 's'.

How the word is built

• rope (from Old English rap: a strong cord)
• -s (plural/third-person verb suffix)