Added 9 October 2026
climb
/ˈklaɪ̯m/ verb
In Latin: ascendō, scandō Wiktionary
verb Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about climb at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
- To traverse a slope or contour, either upwards (ascending) or downwards (descending).
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: To ascend; rise; to go up. To ascend in a non-physical or figurative sense.
The hit song has climbed to the number one spot.
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To ascend in a non-physical or figurative sense.
The hit song has climbed to the number one spot.
noun
Origin
From Middle English climben, clymben, from Old English climban (“to climb”), from Proto-West Germanic *klimban, from Proto-Germanic *klimbaną (“to climb, go up by clinging”), believed to be a nasalised variant of Proto-Germanic *klibaną, *klibāną (“to stick, cleave”), from Proto-Indo-European *gley- (“to stick”). Cognate with West Frisian klimme (“to climb”), Dutch klimmen (“to climb”), German klimmen (“to climb”), Old Norse klembra (“to squeeze”), Icelandic klifra (“to climb”). Related to clamber. See also clay, glue.
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)