Wordwyrt

escalate

/ˈeskəˌleɪt/EH-skuh-layt
/ˈɛskəˌleɪt/EH-skuh-layt

Meaningto climb by steps

Common meaning: to increase step by step

‘out’ + ‘a ladder, flight of steps’ → escalate

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 Latin scāla ‘a ladder, flight of steps’.

Did you know: our wording, based on Lewis & Short, Latin Dictionary (1879), entry scāla, p. 1638 · dictionary scan

Roots

  • scāla Latin “a ladder, flight of steps”

Related words

escalatorscale

Building blocks are an automatic split · open in app