
on the ropes
[Middle English, from Old English rāp.]
roper rop'er n.For more information on rope, visit Britannica.com.
Background
A rope is a bundle of flexible fibers twisted or braided together to increase its overall length and tensile strength. The use of ropes for hunting, carrying, lifting, and climbing dates back to prehistoric times. Ropes were originally made by hand using natural fibers. Modern ropes are made by machines and utilize many newer synthetic materials to give them improved strength, lighter weight, and better resistance to rotting. More than half of the rope manufactured today is used in the fishing and maritime industries.
Although the origin of rope is unknown, the Egyptians were the first people to develop special tools to make rope. Egyptian rope dates back to 4000 to 3500 B.C. and was generally made of water reed fibers. Other Egyptian rope was made from the fibers of date palms, flax, grass, papyrus, leather, or camel hair. The use of such ropes pulled by thousands of slaves allowed the Egyptians to move the heavy stones required to build the pyramids. By about 2800 B.C., rope made of hemp fibers was in use in China. Rope and the craft of rope making spread throughout Asia, India, and Europe over the next several thousand years. By the fourth century, rope making in India had become so specialized that some makers produced rope intended only for use with elephants. Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) drew sketches of a concept for a ropemaking machine, and by the late 1700s several working machines had been built and patented. Rope continued to be made from natural fibers until the 1950s when synthetic materials such as nylon became popular. Despite the changes in materials and technology, rope making today remains little changed since the time of the ancient Egyptians.
Rope is sometimes generally referred to as cordage and can be divided into four categories based on its diameter. Cordage under 0.1875 inches (0.5 cm) in diameter includes twine, clothesline, sash cord, and a tar-covered hemp line called marline. These are not considered to be true rope. Cordage with a diameter of 0.1875 to 0.5 inches (0.5-1.3 cm) is a light-duty rope and is some-times referred to as "small stuff." Cordage with a diameter of 0.5 to about 1.5 inches (1.3-3.8 cm) is considered to be true rope. Cordage over about 1.5 inches (3.8 cm) in diameter is generally called a hawser and is used for mooring large ships.
Rope construction involves twisting fibers together to form yarn. For twisted rope, the yarn is then twisted into strands, and the strands twisted into rope. Three-strand twisted rope is the most common construction. For braided rope, the yarn is braided rather than being twisted into strands. Double-braided rope has a braided core with a braided cover. Plaited rope is made by braiding twisted strands. Other rope construction includes combinations of these three techniques such as a three-strand twisted core with a braided cover. The concept of forming fibers or filaments into yarn and yarn into strands or braids is fundamental to the rope-making process.
Raw Materials
Rope may be made either from natural fibers, which have been processed to allow them to be easily formed into yarn, or from synthetic materials, which have been spun into fibers or extruded into long filaments.
Natural fibers include hemp, sisal, cotton, flax, and jute. Another natural material is called manila hemp, but it is actually the fibers from a banana plant. Sisal was used extensively to make twine, but synthetic materials are replacing it. Manila rope is still used by traditionalists, but it can rot from the inside, thus losing its strength without giving any outward indication.
Synthetic fibers include nylon, polyester, polypropylene and aramid. Polypropylene costs the least, floats on water, and does not stretch appreciably. For these reasons it makes a good water ski tow rope. Nylon is moderately expensive, fairly strong, and has quite a bit of stretch. It makes a good mooring and docking line for boats because of its ability to give slightly, yet hold. Aramid is the strongest, but is also very expensive. Nylon and polyester may be spun into fibers about 4-10 inches (10-25 cm) long. Ropes made from spun synthetic fibers feel fuzzy and are not as strong as ropes made from long, continuous filaments. Some ropes use two different synthetic materials to achieve a combination of high strength and low cost or high strength and smooth surface finish.
Wire rope may be made from iron or steel wires. This is commonly referred to as cable and is used in bridges, elevators, and cranes. It is made by a different process than fiber or filament ropes.
The Manufacturing
Process
Fibers and filaments are first formed into yarn. The yarn is then twisted, braided, or plaited according to the type of rope being made. The diameter of the rope is determined by the diameter of the yarn, the number of yarns per strand, and the number of strands or braids in the finished rope.
Processing the fibers and filaments
If the rope is to be made from long filaments of synthetic material, several filaments are grouped together in a process called doubling or throwing. This produces a sliver of multiple plies of filaments.
Forming twisted rope
Forming braided rope
Forming plated rope
Quality Control
The level of quality control depends on the intended use of the rope. Ropes intended for general purpose use are sold by diameter and tensile strength. Tensile strength is determined by breaking a sample piece under load. Basic raw material specification and a visual inspection are the only quality control measures used for these ropes. Ropes intended for high-risk applications—such as rappelling, rescue work, and lifting objects over people—are more closely inspected and tested. These ropes have a finite service life and may also have a color code or other coding to indicate the date of manufacture. Some ropes incorporate some type of wear tracer formed into the rope. These tracers are usually a single yarn of contrasting color placed just under the outer wrap of yarn. Should any abrasion or overextension of the rope occur, this filament would be exposed, indicating an unsafe condition and requiring that the rope be replaced.
The Future
The future of rope making is directly linked to improvements in materials. Over the years, almost every conceivable type of rope configuration has been attempted. In the past, new materials have allowed rope makers to reduce the diameter of the rope while maintaining the tensile strength and improving the resistance to weathering and abrasion. It is expected that a new generation of very strong, very light fibers and forming techniques will produce even further improvements in ropes.
Where To Learn More
Book
Merry, Barbara. The Splicing Handbook. International Marine, 1987.
Periodical
Foster, G.P. "New Fiber Rope Technologies Drive Increased Applications." Sea Technology, July 1989, pp. 15-16.
[Article by: Douglas E. Betts; Chris Cavette]
A long flexible structure consisting of many strands of wire, plastic, or vegetable fiber such as manila. Rope is classified as a flexible connector and is used generally for hoisting, conveying, or transporting loads; transmitting motion; and occasionally transmitting power. For flexibility and to reduce stresses as the rope bends over the sheave (pulley), a rope is made of many small strands. See also Pulley.
Spore-forming bacteria (Bacillus mesentericus and B. subtilis) occuring on wheat and hence in flour. The spores can survive baking and then are present in the bread. Under the right conditions of warmth and moisture the spores germinate and the mass of bacteria convert the bread into sticky, yellowish patches which can be pulled out into rope-like threads, hence the term ‘ropy’ bread. The bacterial growth is inhibited by acid substances. Can also occur in milk, called long milk in Scandinavia.
Idioms beginning with rope:
rope in
In addition to the idiom beginning with rope, also see end of one's rope; enough rope; (show someone) know the ropes; on the ropes.
n. an element of chaff consisting of a long roll of metallic foil or wire that is designed for broad, low- frequency responses.
See the Introduction, Abbreviations and Pronunciation for further details.
A strong thick line, comprised of a number of twisted or braided strands of fiber (such as hemp) or of wire (see wire rope).
All rope used on a ship is called line. A former name for a female drill instructor. Until they were authorized to wear the campaign cover, female Marine drill instructors were designated with a crimson agulet worn on the left shoulder.
(DOD, NATO) An element of chaff consisting of a long roll of metallic foil or wire which is designed for broad, low-frequency responses. See also chaff.
n.
An obsolescent appliance for reminding assassins that they too are mortal. It is put about the neck and remains in place one's whole life long. It has been largely superseded by a more complex electrical device worn upon another part of the person; and this is rapidly giving place to an apparatus known as the preachment.
LearnThatWord.com is a free vocabulary and spelling program where you only pay for results!
If we are tied down, a rope can be what we feel is holding us back. If we dream about tying up someone else, it could represent our efforts to restrain ourselves, perhaps holding back desires. (See also Chains).

A rope is a length of fibres, twisted or braided together to improve strength for pulling and connecting. It has tensile strength but is too flexible to provide compressive strength (i.e. it can be used for pulling, but not pushing). Rope is thicker and stronger than similarly constructed cord, line, string, and twine.
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Common materials for rope include natural fibres such as manila hemp, hemp, linen, cotton, coir, jute, straw, and sisal.
Synthetic fibres in use for rope-making include polypropylene, nylon, polyesters (e.g. PET, LCP, HDPE, Vectran), polyethylene (e.g. Dyneema and Spectra), Aramids (e.g. Twaron, Technora and Kevlar) and acrylics (e.g. Dralon). Some ropes are constructed of mixtures of several fibres or use co-polymer fibres. Rope can also be made out of metal. Ropes have been constructed of other fibrous materials such as silk, wool, and hair, but such ropes are not generally available. Rayon is a regenerated fibre used to make decorative rope.
Rope is of paramount importance in fields as diverse as construction, seafaring, exploration, sports, and communications; and has been used since prehistoric times. In order to fasten rope, a large number of knots have been invented for countless uses. Pulleys are used to redirect the pulling force to another direction, and may be used to create mechanical advantage, allowing multiple strands of rope to share a load and multiply the force applied to the end. Winches and capstans are machines designed to pull ropes.
The modern sport of rock climbing makes extensive use of so called "dynamic" rope, which is designed to stretch under load in an elastic manner in order to absorb the energy required to arrest a person in free fall without generating forces high enough to injure them. Such ropes normally use a kernmantle construction, as described below. "Static" ropes, used for example in caving, rappelling, and rescue applications, are designed for minimal stretch; they are not designed to arrest free falls. The UIAA, in concert with the CEN, sets climbing-rope standards and oversees testing. Any rope bearing a GUIANA or CE certification tag is suitable for climbing. Despite the hundreds of thousands of falls climbers suffer every year, there are few recorded instances of a climbing rope breaking in a fall, the cases that do are often attributable to previous damage to, or contamination of, the rope. Climbing ropes, however, do cut easily when under load. Keeping them away from sharp rock edges is imperative.
Rock climbing ropes come with either a designation for single, double or twin use. A single rope is the most common and it is intended to be used by itself, as a single strand. Single ropes range in thickness from roughly 9 mm to 11 mm. Smaller ropes are lighter, but wear out faster. Double ropes are thinner ropes, usually 9mm and under, and are intended to be used as a pair. These ropes offer a greater margin or security against cutting, since it is unlikely that both ropes will be cut, but complicate belaying and leading. Double ropes are usually reserved for ice and mixed climbing, where there is need for two ropes to rappel or abseil. They are also popular among traditional climbers, and particularly in the UK, due to the ability to clip each rope into alternating pieces of protection; allowing the ropes to stay straighter and hence reduce rope drag. Twin ropes are not to be confused with double's. When using twin ropes, both ropes are clipped into the same piece of protection, treating the two as a single strand. This would be favourable in a situation where there was a high chance of a rope being cut. However new lighter-weight ropes with greater safety have virtually replaced this type of rope. [1]
The butterfly coil is a method of carrying a rope used by climbers where the rope remains attached to the climber and ready to be uncoiled at short notice. Another method of carrying a rope is the Alpine coil.
Rope is also an Aerial acrobatics circus skill, where a performer makes artistic figures on a vertical suspended rope. Tricks performed on the rope are for example drops, rolls and hangs.[2] See also Corde Lisse.
The use of ropes for hunting, pulling, fastening, attaching, carrying, lifting, and climbing dates back to prehistoric times. It is likely that the earliest "ropes" were naturally occurring lengths of plant fibre, such as vines, followed soon by the first attempts at twisting and braiding these strands together to form the first proper ropes in the modern sense of the word. Impressions of cordage found on fired clay provide evidence of string and rope-making technology in Europe dating back 28,000 years.[3] Fossilized fragments of "probably two-ply laid rope of about 7 mm diameter" were found in one of the caves at Lascaux, dating to approximately 15,000 BC.[4]
The ancient Egyptians were probably the first civilization to develop special tools to make rope. Egyptian rope dates back to 4000 to 3500 B.C. and was generally made of water reed fibres[5]. Other rope in antiquity was made from the fibres of date palms, flax, grass, papyrus, leather, or animal hair. The use of such ropes pulled by thousands of workers allowed the Egyptians to move the heavy stones required to build their monuments. Starting from approximately 2800 B.C., rope made of hemp fibres was in use in China. Rope and the craft of rope making spread throughout Asia, India, and Europe over the next several thousand years.
In the Middle Ages (from the 13th to the 18th centuries), from the British Isles to Italy, ropes were constructed in so-called Ropewalks, very long buildings where strands the full length of the rope were spread out and then laid up or twisted together to form the rope. The cable length was thus set by the length of the available rope walk. This is related to the unit of length termed cable length. This allowed for long ropes of up to 300 yards long or longer to be made. These long ropes were necessary in shipping as short ropes would require splicing to make them long enough to use for sheets and halyards. The strongest form of splicing is the short splice, which doubles the diameter of the rope at the area of the splice, which would cause problems in running the line through pulleys. Any splices narrow enough to maintain smooth running would be less able to support the required weight.
Leonardo da Vinci drew sketches of a concept for a ropemaking machine, but it was never built. Nevertheless, remarkable feats of construction were accomplished without advanced technology: In 1586, Domenico Fontana erected the 327 ton obelisk on Rome's Saint Peter's Square with a concerted effort of 900 men, 75 horses, and countless pulleys and meters of rope. By the late 18th century several working machines had been built and patented.
Some rope continues to be made from natural fibres such as coir and sisal, despite the dominance of synthetic fibres such as nylon and polypropylene which have become popular since the 1950s.
A German ropemaker, around 1470 AD
A ropewalk in Karlskrona, Sweden
Laid rope, also called twisted rope, is historically the prevalent form of rope, at least in modern western history. Common twisted rope generally consists of three strands and is normally right-laid, or given a final right-handed twist. The ISO 2 standard uses the uppercase letters S and Z to indicate the two possible directions of twist, as suggested by the direction of slant of the central portions of these two letters. The handedness of the twist is the direction of the twists as they progress away from an observer. Thus Z-twist rope is said to be right-handed, and S-twist to be left-handed.
Twisted ropes are built up in three steps. First, fibres are gathered and spun into yarns. A number of these yarns are then formed into strands by twisting. The strands are then twisted together to lay the rope. The twist of the yarn is opposite to that of the strand, and that in turn is opposite to that of the rope. It is this counter-twist, introduced with each successive operation, which holds the final rope together as a stable, unified object.[6]
Traditionally, a three strand laid rope is called a plain- or hawser-laid, a four strand rope is called shroud-laid, and a larger rope formed by counter-twisting three or more multi-strand ropes together is called cable-laid.[7]
One property of laid rope is partial untwisting when used. This can cause spinning of suspended loads, or stretching, kinking, or hockling of the rope itself. An additional drawback of twisted construction is that every fibre is exposed to abrasion numerous times along the length of the rope. This means that the rope can degrade to numerous inch-long fibre fragments, which is not easily detected visually.[citation needed]
Twisted ropes have a preferred direction for coiling. Normal right-laid rope should be coiled with the sun, or clockwise, to prevent kinking. Coiling this way imparts a twist to the rope. Rope of this type must be bound at its ends by some means to prevent untwisting.
Braided ropes are generally made from nylon, polyester, polypropylene or high performance fibers such as Dyneema, Technora or Vectran. Nylon is chosen for its strength and elastic stretch properties. However, nylon absorbs water and is 10-15% weaker when wet. Polyester is about 90% as strong as nylon but stretches less under load and is not affected by water. It has somewhat better UV resistance, and is more abrasion resistant. Polypropylene is preferred for low cost and light weight (it floats on water) but it has limited resistance to ultraviolet light, is susceptible to friction and has a poor heat resistance.[8][9][10][11]
Braided ropes (and objects like garden hoses, fibre optic or coaxial cables, etc.) that have no lay, or inherent twist, will uncoil better if coiled into figure-8 coils, where the twist reverses regularly and essentially cancels out.
Single braid consists of an even number of strands, eight or twelve being typical, braided into a circular pattern with half of the strands going clockwise and the other half going anticlockwise. The strands can interlock with either twill or plain weave. The central void may be large or small; in the former case the term hollow braid is sometimes preferred.
Double braid, also called braid on braid, consists of an inner braid filling the central void in an outer braid, that may be of the same or different material. Often the inner braid fibre is chosen for strength while the outer braid fibre is chosen for abrasion resistance.
In solid braid the strands all travel the same direction, clockwise or anticlockwise, and alternate between forming the outside of the rope and the interior of the rope. This construction is popular for general purpose utility rope but rare in specialized high performance line.
Kernmantle rope has a core (kern) of long twisted fibres in the center, with a braided outer sheath or mantle of woven fibres. The kern provides most of the strength (about 70%), while the mantle protects the kern and determines the handling properties of the rope (how easy it is to hold, to tie knots in, and so on). In dynamic climbing line, the core fibres are usually twisted, and chopped into shorter lengths which makes the rope more stretchy. Static kernmantle ropes are made with untwisted core fibres and tighter braid, which causes them to be stiffer in addition to limiting the stretch.
Plaited rope is made by braiding twisted strands, and is also called square braid. It is not as round as twisted rope and coarser to the touch. It is less prone to kinking than twisted rope and, depending on the material, very flexible and therefore easy to handle and knot. This construction exposes all fibres as well, with the same drawbacks as described above. Brait rope is a combination of braided and plaited, a non-rotating alternative to laid three-strand ropes. Due to its excellent energy-absorption characteristics, it is often used by arborists. It is also a popular rope for anchoring and can be used as mooring warps. This type of construction was pioneered by Yale Cordage.
Endless winding rope is made by winding single strands of high-performance yarns around two end terminations until the desired break strength or stiffness has been reached. This type of rope (often specified as cable to make the difference between a braided or twined construction) has the advantage of having no construction stretch as is the case with above constructions. Endless winding is pioneered by SmartRigging and FibreMax.
Rope made from hemp, cotton or nylon is generally stored in a cool dry place for proper storage. To prevent kinking it is usually coiled. To prevent fraying or unravelling, the ends of a rope are bound with twine (whipping), tape, or heat shrink tubing. The ends of plastic fibre ropes are often melted and fused solid.
If a load-bearing rope gets a sharp or sudden jolt or the rope shows signs of deteriorating, it is recommended that the rope be replaced immediately and should be discarded or only used for non-load-bearing tasks.
The average rope life-span is five years. Serious inspection should be given to line after that point.[citation needed]
When preparing for a climb, it is important to stack the rope on the ground or a tarp and check for any "dead-spots".
Avoid stepping on rope, as this might force tiny pieces of rock through the sheath, which can eventually deteriorate the core of the rope. Ropes may be flemished into coils on deck for safety and presentation/tidiness as shown in the picture.
"Rope" refers to the manufactured material. Once rope is purposely sized, cut, spliced, or simply assigned a function, the result is referred to as a "line", especially in nautical usage. Sail control lines are mainly referred to as sheets(e.g. jibsheet). A halyard, for example, is a line used to raise and lower a sail, and is typically made of a length of rope with a shackle attached at one end. Other examples include clothesline, chalk line, anchor line ("rode"), stern line, fishing line, and so on.
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Dansk (Danish)
n. - reb, tov, snor, lasso, kæde
v. tr. - binde fast, binde sammen, fange, indhegne
v. intr. - klatre op/ned vha. et tov
idioms:
Nederlands (Dutch)
touw, strop, bundel, (vast)binden, lasso gooien, erin laten lopen
Français (French)
n. - (gén) corde, (fig) rang (de perles), tresse (de cheveux)
v. tr. - attacher, encorder, nouer avec une corde, (US) prendre (qch) au lasso, (fig) mettre le grappin sur
v. intr. - s'encorder
idioms:
Deutsch (German)
n. - Seil, Tau, Strang
v. - anbinden, mit dem Seil fangen
idioms:
Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - σκοινί, σχοινί, πλεξούδα (σκόρδα, κ.λπ.), (μτφ.) απαγχονισμός, κρεμάλα
v. - δένω ή συλλαμβάνω με σκοινί
idioms:
Italiano (Italian)
corda, capestro
idioms:
Português (Portuguese)
n. - corda (f), cabo (m), laço (m)
v. - amarrar com corda
idioms:
Русский (Russian)
трос, канат, снасти
idioms:
Español (Spanish)
n. - cuerda, soga, cabo, horca
v. tr. - unir o forrar con cuerda, enlingar, rodear, cerrar, pescar
v. intr. - hacer hebra
idioms:
Svenska (Swedish)
n. - rep, lasso, fläta
v. - binda ihop med rep
中文(简体)(Chinese (Simplified))
绳, 绞刑, 栏索, 一串, 捆, 缚, 扎, 用绳索套捉, 用绳捆起, 拧成绳状, 产生丝状黏质
idioms:
中文(繁體)(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 繩, 絞刑, 欄索, 一串
v. tr. - 捆, 縛, 紮, 用繩索套捉, 用繩捆起
v. intr. - 擰成繩狀, 產生絲狀黏質
idioms:
한국어 (Korean)
n. - 한 엮음, 밧줄, 올가미줄
v. tr. - 밧줄로 묶다, 밧줄로 잡다, 밧줄로 울을 치다
v. intr. - 끈쩍끈쩍해지다, 이기지 못하도록 억제하다, 로프를 써서 올라가다
idioms:
日本語 (Japanese)
n. - ロープ, 一つなぎ, 一連, 囲い縄, 絞首刑, 絞首刑の綱, 投げ縄, 秘訣
v. - ロープで縛る, 縄で囲う, ねばる, 投げ縄で捕らえる
idioms:
العربيه (Arabic)
(الاسم) حبل, حبل المشنقه (فعل) يقيد او يكبر بحبل, يغري, ينفتل
עברית (Hebrew)
n. - חבל, מחרוזת, תלייה
v. tr. - קשר, כבל, פלצר, הוציא להורג בתלייה
v. intr. - נקשר, השתלשל בחבל
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