ascender

noun

as·​cend·​er ə-ˈsen-dər 

ˈa-ˌsen-

1

: the part of a lowercase letter (such as b) that rises above the main body of the letter

also : a letter that has such a part

2

: a device used for climbing rope that slides freely in one direction and grips the rope when pulled in the opposite direction

Examples of ascender in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Consisting of four elements — a lunar orbiter, a lander, an ascender and an Earth-reentry module, the Chang'e 6 moon probe rode a Long March 5 rocket into orbit. —Julian Dossett, Space.com, 28 Dec. 2024

On June 1, the Chang'e 6 lander touched down in the southern pocket of the unexplored Apollo crater in the South Pole-Aitken (SPA) basin to scoop and drill unique samples, which were then transferred to the ascender and shot back up into the moon's orbit. —Julian Dossett, Space.com, 28 Dec. 2024

The collection of rocks launched from the lunar surface in the spacecraft’s ascender on June 3, then united with the orbiter days later. —Christian Thorsberg, Smithsonian Magazine, 26 June 2024

Some examples of instances are weight (ultra-thin to black), width (extended to condensed), optical size (text vs. display), counter width, roughness, slant, ascender height, and more. —PCMAG, 8 Aug. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1867, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for ascender

• bartender
• contender
• defender
• engender
• extender
• offender
• pretender
• provender
• surrender
• suspender
• transgender
• bender