stirrup
stirrup Lexical Profile
stirrup Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A light frame or ring with a flat base, attached to a saddle by a strap, used to support the foot of a rider.
"She placed her left foot firmly in the stirrup before swinging herself onto the horse's back."
A pair of support devices used in medical settings to hold a patient's legs in a raised and separated position during examinations or surgical procedures.
"The nurse asked the patient to lie back and place her heels into the metal stirrups at the end of the examination table."
The innermost, stirrup-shaped bone of a chain of three small bones in the middle ear of humans and other mammals; the stapes.
"The stirrup transmits sound vibrations from the incus to the oval window in the inner ear."
• Rhymes for stirrup
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
From Old English 'stigrap', from 'stīgan' (to climb) + 'rāp' (rope), literally meaning a 'mounting rope' used to climb onto a horse.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.