ratline
/ˈɹætlɪn/
Word Rarity
Very rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 0.00 in modern English
7
Scrabble Score
7
Letters
2
Syllables
7
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
Any of the cross ropes between the shrouds, which form a net-like ropework, allowing sailors to climb up towards the top of the mast.
noun
A system of escape routes for Nazis and other fascists fleeing Europe in the aftermath of World War II.
Example Sentences
- "[H]e laid hold of the first ratline with his right hand, then sprung to the second, with his left, and so on alternately, right and left, up to the last, close to the futtock shrouds."
- "That meant it was not possible to use ratlines — that is, to make rope ladders out of the shrouds by adding small connecting pieces of ropes."
- "Marc Masurovsky, of the European Shoah Legacy Institute, has a remarkable knowledge of the Nazi ratlines and Allied intelligence."