Meanings
present singular third person abseils · participle present abseiling · participle past abseiled · past abseiled
- intransitiveTo descend a steep or vertical drop using a rope with a mechanical friction device or (classic abseil) by wrapping the rope around the body.First known use First attested in the mid 20th century.
Although only five miles north of Winchester, the tunnel is in a rural location with no road access. Contractors were only able to reach the site after cutting through thick vegetation and abseiling down the slope on ropes.
2020 September 9, Paul Clifton, “Heavy rainfall causes landslip in Hampshire”, in Rail, page 11Synonyms: rappel
Synonyms & antonyms
verbTo descend a steep or vertical drop using a rope with a mechanical friction device or (classic abseil) by wrapping the rope around the body.
nounA descent in mountaineering using a rope looped at the top and a friction device.
More synonyms by meaning
noun(mountaineering) a descent of a vertical cliff or wall made by using a doubled rope that is fixed to a higher point and wrapped around the body
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Germanabseilen
- Englishabseil
From German abseilen, from ab- (“down”) + Seil (“rope”).
More words from German
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Czech slanit, slaňovat
- slanitto descend a vertical drop using a rope
- slaňovatto descend a vertical drop using a rope
Dutch abseilen, het abseilen
- abseilento descend a vertical drop using a rope
- het abseilena descent by abseil
- gezekerde afdalinga descent by abseil
Finnish laskeutua köydellä, laskeutuminen köydellä
- laskeutua köydelläto descend a vertical drop using a rope
- laskeutuminen köydelläa descent by abseil
French descendre en rappel
- descendre en rappelto descend a vertical drop using a rope
German abseilen, Abseilen
- abseilento descend a vertical drop using a rope
- Abseilena descent by abseil
Malay menakik turun, مناکيق تورون
- menakik turunto descend a vertical drop using a rope
- مناکيق تورون (menakik turun)to descend a vertical drop using a rope
- takik turuna descent by abseil
- turun cenurama descent by abseil
Polish opuszczać się przy pomocy liny, opuścić się przy pomocy liny
- opuszczać się przy pomocy linyto descend a vertical drop using a rope
- opuścić się przy pomocy linyto descend a vertical drop using a rope
- opuszczanie się przy pomocy linya descent by abseil
Portuguese rapelar, rapel
- rapelarto descend a vertical drop using a rope
- rapela descent by abseil
Russian спускаться на верёвке
- спускаться на верёвке (spuskatʹsja na verjóvke)to descend a vertical drop using a rope
Swedish fira ner sig, fira sig ner
- fira ner sigto descend a vertical drop using a rope
- fira sig nerto descend a vertical drop using a rope
- nedfirninga descent by abseil
Ukrainian спускатися по мотузці
- спускатися по мотузці (spuskatysja po motuzci)to descend a vertical drop using a rope
Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
abseil. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/abseil
“abseil.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/abseil. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “abseil,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/abseil.
Source: abseil on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.