climber

noun

climb·​er ˈklī-mər 

plural climbers

1

a

: a person or animal that climbs

a tree climber

a bicyclist who's an excellent climber

a mountain climber

We also teach how to handle a rope and how to belay another climber to protect them if they fall.

—Lou Whittaker

see also rock climber

b

: a climbing plant

ivy and other climbers

Owing to their size and abundance, climbing plants, especially the large woody climbers or lianes, are one of the most impressive features of the Tropical Rain forest.

—P. W. Richards

2

: social climber

Examples of climber in a Sentence

Chimpanzees are excellent climbers and spend a lot of their lives in trees.

climbers like clematis and ivy

Recent Examples on the Web

The climber was conscious and able to communicate, but the circumstances and potential severity of the injuries prompted a more complex response. —Louis Casiano, FOXNews.com, 26 May 2026

The late climber Dean Potter, once Yosemite’s king, is not cast as a hero, a heel, a messiah, or a particularly good friend. —Michael Scherer, The Atlantic, 24 May 2026

Use twine or soft plant ties to attach the branches or canes of sprawling and grabbing climbers to the support structure at regular intervals, tying securely but not too tightly. —Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 23 May 2026

The number of climbers making the ascent on the 29,032-foot peak from the Nepalese side is higher this season because China has closed the route from Tibet. —Binaj Gurubacharya, Los Angeles Times, 22 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing climber

• social climber
• stair-climber

Rhymes for climber

• dimer
• eimer
• primer
• rhymer
• timer
• alzheimer
• heterodimer