escalade

noun

es·​ca·​lade ˈe-skə-ˌlād How to pronounce escalade (audio)
-ˌläd
: an act of scaling especially the walls of a fortification
escalade transitive verb
escalader noun

Word History

Etymology

French, from Italian scalata, from scalare to scale, from scala ladder, from Late Latin — more at scale entry 5

First Known Use

1598, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of escalade was in 1598

Dictionary Entries Near escalade

Cite this Entry

“Escalade.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/escalade. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!