rappel

verb

rap·​pel rə-ˈpel How to pronounce rappel (audio)
ra-
rappelled also rappeled; rappelling also rappeling

intransitive verb

: to descend (as from a cliff) by sliding down a rope passed under one thigh, across the body, and over the opposite shoulder or through a special friction device
rappel noun

Examples of rappel in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web While rappelling into some supposedly haunted mines in Chile in 2010, Gates and a cameraman got trapped in a lightless mine shaft. Vulture, 5 Jan. 2024 The helicopter spotted the dog, and a rescuer rappelled about 20 feet down the marked trail to grab the distressed animal. Katherine Itoh, NBC News, 18 Jan. 2024 Albert Lin makes his descent, rappelling off a mountain in Peru. Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 22 Nov. 2023 Cox said protesters lit colorful flares and drummers created a deafening din outside the hotel as some demonstrators sat on the ground and others rappelled from the roof of the hotel. TIME, 2 Feb. 2024 Rescuers in the air tracked down the location of the dog and rappelled about 20 feet down the slope to retrieve the pup, fire officials said. Gina Martinez, CBS News, 17 Jan. 2024 Local fire departments had planned to rappel down the cliffs and rescue the dog, but because of approaching nightfall, the Coast Guard was called to conduct the rescue. Kerry Breen, CBS News, 3 Jan. 2024 The Chrisley Knows Best lead loses her lunch in an upcoming episode of the series while rappelling down a wall — and it’s all caught on camera. Kelly Wynne, Peoplemag, 2 Oct. 2023 The Tritons mascot rappelled into the arena floor from the ceiling before tip-off … The line of students stretched outside LionTree for several hundred yards, and there were reports some didn’t get tickets. Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Dec. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'rappel.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

French, literally, recall, from Old French rapel, from rapeler to recall, from re- + apeler to appeal, call — more at appeal

First Known Use

1944, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of rappel was in 1944

Dictionary Entries Near rappel

Cite this Entry

“Rappel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rappel. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

rappel

verb
rap·​pel rə-ˈpel How to pronounce rappel (audio)
ra-
rappelled also rappeled; rappelling also rappeling
: to descend (as from a cliff) by sliding down a rope
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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