rappel
rappel Lexical Profile
rappel Game Scores & Validity
• noun
North American A controlled descent down a steep cliff or rock face using a doubled rope coiled around the body or passed through a friction device and fixed at a higher point.
"The climbers completed a sixty-meter rappel into the narrow canyon before sunset."
A specific drumbeat or bugle call formerly used in the military to summon soldiers back to their ranks or to arms.
"At the sound of the rappel, the scattered infantrymen quickly reassembled in the town square."
• verb
North American To descend a steep cliff, rock face, or vertical surface by sliding down a rope secured at the top and passed through a friction device or around the body.
"Rescue workers had to rappel down the sheer canyon wall to reach the stranded hikers."
Word Nuance & Usage
In American English, the past tense and present participle forms are typically spelled with a double 'l' ('rappelled', 'rappelling') even though the stress falls on the second syllable, whereas British English generally favors the synonym 'abseil'.
• Rhymes for rappel
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in the early 20th century from French 'rappel', literally meaning 'a recall' or 'a bringing back', from the verb 'rappeler' (to call back), in reference to retrieving the climbing rope after a descent.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.