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

As a result, Nepal — which is home to eight of the world’s 14 highest peaks — has made efforts to crack down on the number of unprepared climbers on Everest while redirecting tourists to other parts of the country. —Lilit Marcus, CNN Money, 13 Aug. 2025

Officials in Italy used a combination of flying drones and AI software to locate the remains of a man who vanished in September Back in September 2024, a 64-year-old climber went missing in Italy’s Cottian Alps. —Owen Clarke, Outside, 8 Aug. 2025

One of Osprey’s 17 ambassadors is Sonya Wilson, a Deaf climber who founded the ASL Climbing Network in 2012. —Mindy Sink, Denver Post, 7 Aug. 2025

Some of the best climbers in the world wear jeans to avoid this issue. —Mary Beth Skylis, Travel + Leisure, 7 Aug. 2025

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