noun
stirrup
STIH-ruhp
noun
1
A loop or ring hanging from a saddle that a rider rests a foot in while mounting or riding a horse.
"She adjusted the stirrups before climbing into the saddle."
2
The smallest bone in the human body, located in the middle ear (also called the stapes), named for its stirrup-like shape.
"Sound vibrations pass through the hammer, anvil, and stirrup bones before reaching the inner ear."
How to Use Stirrup
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishThe foot support that hangs from a horse saddle — or, by shape, the tiny stirrup-shaped bone in the ear.
Common pairings
put a foot in the stirrup
stirrup leather
stirrup bone
Word Forms
stirrups plural
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She adjusted the _____ before climbing into the saddle.
Etymology
From Old English stigrap, literally "climbing rope" — combining a word related to "ascend" with "rope."