climax

/kˈlaɪˌmæks/KLIGH-maks

Meaninga ladder; the top of a slope

Common meaning: the highest point (once a ladder)

climto lean, slopeLiddell & Scott, Greek-English Lexicon (1883), p. 815 · scan
axGreek noun ending

Journey through time

Greekκλίνω‘to lean, slope’
Englishclimax‘the highest point (once a ladder)’ · today

clim also in: clinic decline incline recline

Sources & notes

Meaning: “Meaning” is the sense that emerges from the word’s roots; “Common meaning” is today’s everyday sense. Both written by us.

Pronunciation

UK IPA: converted from the US form by rule (unchecked). Respelling: generated.
No UK recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-GB voice.
US IPA: CMUdict (BSD-2), converted to IPA by rule. Respelling: generated.
No US recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-US voice.

Origin: Built on Greek κλίνω ‘to lean, slope’.

Did you know: our wording, based on Liddell & Scott, Greek-English Lexicon (1883), entry κλίνω, p. 815 · dictionary scan; Skeat, Etymological Dictionary (1898), entry CLIMAX, p. 114 · dictionary scan

Roots

κλίνω Greek “to lean, slope”

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