ramp

views updated May 17 2018

ramp / ramp/ • n. 1. a slope or inclined plane for joining two different levels, as at the entrance or between floors of a building: a wheelchair ramp. ∎  a movable set of steps for entering or leaving an aircraft. ∎  an inclined road leading onto or off a main road or highway: an exit ramp.2. an upward bend in a stair rail.3. an electrical waveform in which the voltage increases or decreases linearly with time.• v. 1. [tr.] provide or build (something) with a ramp.2. [intr.] archaic (of an animal) rear up on its hind legs in a threatening posture. ∎  rush about violently or uncontrollably: an awful beast ramping about the woods and fields. ∎  (of a plant) grow or climb luxuriantly: ivy ramped over the flower beds.3. [intr.] (of an electrical waveform) increase or decrease voltage linearly with time.PHRASAL VERBS: ramp something up (or ramp up) (esp. in reference to the production of goods) increase or cause to increase in amount: they ramped up production to meet booming demand.

ramp

views updated May 08 2018

ramp
1. That part of a staircase thrust trajectory which forms the steeply dipping sections between the flats. Where thrusting occurs in horizontally bedded strata the ramps cut up-section, obliquely to the bedding. A thrust belt may contain several types of ramp, classified as frontal, oblique, and lateral according to their respective perpendicular, oblique, and parallel strike orientations in relation to the main direction of transport.

2. See SHELF.

ramp

views updated May 17 2018

ramp.
1. Inclined plane connecting two different levels.

2. Part of the handrail of a stair balustrade with a steep concave upward bend occurring where there is a landing, or where the stair has winders. Opposite of knee.

ramp

views updated Jun 08 2018

ramp1 rear or stand on the hind legs (threateningly) XIII; rage violently XIV; (dial.) climb, scramble XVI. — (O)F. ramper creep, crawl (a sense rarely repr. in Eng.), climb = It. rampare.
So rampant standing with fore-paws in the air XIV (spec. in her. XV); violent and unrestrained XVII. — (O)F., prp. of ramper; see -ANT.

ramp

views updated May 11 2018

ramp2 inclined plane. XVIII. — F. rampe, f. ramper RAMP1.

ramp

views updated May 23 2018

ramp See shelf.