Definition of ramp noun from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary



    BrE BrE//ræmp//
    ; NAmE NAmE//ræmp//
    House equipment, Types of road
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  1. 1a slope that joins two parts of a road, path, building, etc. when one is higher than the other Ramps should be provided for wheelchair users. See related entries: House equipment
  2. 2(North American English) (British English slip road) a road used for driving onto or off a major road such as a motorway or interstate a freeway exit ramp see also off-ramp, on-ramp See related entries: Types of road
  3. 3a slope or set of steps that can be moved, used for loading a vehicle or getting on or off a plane a loading ramp
  4. 4(Indian English) the long stage that models walk on during a fashion show synonym catwalk, runway
  5. Word OriginMiddle English (as a verb in the sense ‘rear up’, also used as a heraldic term): from Old French ramper ‘creep, crawl’, of unknown origin. The current senses date from the late 18th cent.Extra examples I drove up the ramp onto the ferry. She led the horse carefully down the ramp. We manoeuvred the sofa onto the loading ramp.
See the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary entry: ramp