noun
escalade
ehs-kuh-LAYD
noun
1
The act of climbing over a wall or fortification, especially using ladders during an assault.
"The soldiers attempted an escalade of the castle walls under cover of darkness."
verb
1
To climb over a fortified wall, typically using ladders.
"The attackers tried to escalade the outer defenses before dawn."
How to Use Escalade
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishScaling a wall or fortress, usually with ladders, as part of a military attack.
When to use it
A rare, mostly historical or military term — not used in everyday speech.
Word Forms
escaladed past tense, escalades plural, escalades singular
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Etymology
From French escalade, from Italian scalata ("a climb"), from scala, "ladder" — ultimately from Latin scālae, "ladder" or "stairs." The same root gives us "scale" (to climb) and "escalator."