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 documentary, which chronicles a pair of mountain climbers who fall in love while planning to climb the North Face of Mount Everest and then ski down it, was shot specifically for the format. — Joe Reid, Vulture, 10 Sep. 2026

Most climbers produce flowers on stems that are at least one year old. — Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 10 Sep. 2026

Other members of his group and nearby climbers witnessed the fall, called 911, and provided assistance. — Christa Swanson, CBS News, 9 Sep. 2026

Reuters — At least 11 people were killed and six ​others injured after an avalanche ‌struck a group of climbers in Russia’s Kabardino-Balkaria region in the ​North Caucasus, local emergency ​services said. — Reuters, CNN Money, 7 Sep. 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