jacob's ladder

1. 1.

   pinnate-leaved European perennial having bright blue or white flowers

   SynonymsGreek valeriancharityPolemonium caeruleumPolemonium van-bruntiaePolymonium caeruleum van-bruntiae

   Broaderpolemonium
2. 2.

   (nautical) a hanging ladder of ropes or chains supporting wooden or metal rungs or steps

   Synonymsjack ladderpilot ladder

   Broaderladder

   seafaring

Questions about jacob's ladder

What does jacob's ladder mean?

jacob's ladder means "pinnate-leaved European perennial having bright blue or white flowers". That is the primary sense; the word has 2 in total, listed in full on this page.

What is another word for jacob's ladder?

Close synonyms include Greek valerian, charity, Polemonium caeruleum, Polemonium van-bruntiae, Polymonium caeruleum van-bruntiae. Each sense on this page lists its own synonyms, because a word with several meanings rarely has one substitute that works for all of them.

Is jacob's ladder a common word?

jacob's ladder is banded "Rare" — specialist or archaic — most readers will not have met it. The band comes from how often the word appears in a large corpus of everyday English, not from an editor's impression.