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 found dead by search and rescue teams on the upper face of Longs Peak, an iconic 14,259-foot summit in the national park in Colorado. — Michael Loria, USA Today, 7 July 2026

As a good climber, Træen may well hold onto yellow past the Tourmalet and at least into the Massif Central stages next week. — Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 7 July 2026

And each time another first-time climber reaches the top, the applause rising from the rocks below suggests that, little by little, that community is growing. — Illia Novikov, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2026

Around 50 city officials and climbers attended a ceremony on Sunday, July 5, to mark the reopening, the news agency stated. — Gina Kalsi, PEOPLE, 6 July 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