rope

rope¹ W3S3 [rəup US roup] n

[: Old English; Origin: rap]

1.) [U and C]

very strong thick string, made by twisting together many thinner strings

▪ They tied a rope around my waist and pulled me up.

▪ The man was coiling a length of rope.

2.) the ropes [plural]

a) all the things someone needs to know to do a job or deal with a system

▪ I spent the first month just learning the ropes .

▪ He works repairing streets, and knows the ropes when it comes to safety.

▪ Miss McGinley will show you the ropes and answer any questions.

b) the rope fence that surrounds an area used for ↑boxing or ↑wrestling

3.) be on the ropes informal

to be in a very bad situation, in which you are likely to be defeated

▪ The army says the rebels are on the ropes.

4.) be at/near etc the end of your rope

especially AmE to have no more ↑patience or strength left to deal with a problem or a difficult situation

▪ My son is causing endless problems, and I'm close to the end of my rope.

5.) give sb some/enough etc rope

to give someone a lot of freedom to do something in the way they want to do it

▪ Managers have to decide how much rope to give their subordinates.

6.) give sb enough rope to hang themselves

to give someone freedom to do what they want to do, because you think they will cause problems for themselves and you want them to look stupid

7.) a rope of pearls

↑pearls on a string, worn around your neck as jewellery

→↑jump rope, ↑skipping rope, ↑tightrope, ↑towrope

→money for old rope at ↑money

rope ²

rope² v [T]

1.) [always + adverb/preposition]

to tie things together using rope

rope sth to sth

▪ Suitcases were roped to the top of the car.

rope sb/sth together

▪ Mountaineers rope themselves together for safety.

2.) AmE to catch an animal using a circle of rope

▪ The calves are roped and branded.

rope into [rope sb into sth] phr v

to persuade someone to help you in a job or join in an activity, especially when they do not want to

rope sb into doing sth

▪ Denise roped me into selling tickets.

rope sb in to do sth

▪ Anyone who could sing was roped in to help.

▪ Have you been roped in too?

rope off [rope sth<=>off] phr v

to surround an area with ropes, especially in order to separate it from another area

▪ The stairs were roped off.