hook and ladder

[ hook uhn lad-er ]

noun

1. ladder truck ( def ).

Word History and Origins

Origin of hook and ladder¹

An Americanism dating back to 1825–35

Example Sentences

A couple of weekends ago, I was at the Magnuson Park off-leash area, and a huge hook and ladder rig appeared and drove down a narrow alleyway full of parked cars on both sides.

From Seattle Times

The hook and ladder resulted in a touchdown.

From Los Angeles Times

“Prices have gone up significantly,” John Mohlenhoff, secretary of the hook and ladder company for the Huntington fire department, told the newspaper.

From Seattle Times

The Professor charged up and down the green aisles like a stout Teutonic knight, with a pole for a lance, leading on the boys, who made a hook and ladder company of themselves, and performed wonders in the way of ground and lofty tumbling.

From Literature

The Hook and Ladder, a popular venue in south Minneapolis, survived through donations and streaming local bands’ performances.

From New York Times

Related Words

• fire engine