noun
- one of the small ropes or lines that form the steps of a rope ladder on a ship
Usage: nautical
Examples
- The sailor climbed up the ratlines to reach the crow’s nest.
- Each ratline was secured horizontally between the shrouds.
- The old ship’s ratlines creaked under the weight of the crew.
- He gripped the ratline tightly as the ship rolled in heavy seas.
- The ratlines provided a ladder-like structure for ascending the rigging.
- Salt spray had made the ratlines slippery and dangerous to climb.