Added 9 October 2026
rung
/ˈɹʌŋ/ noun
noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about rung at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
- A crosspiece between the legs of a chair.
- One of the crosspieces that form the steps of a ladder.
Origin
From Middle English rung, from Old English hrung, from Proto-West Germanic *hrungu, from Proto-Germanic *hrungō. Cognate with Dutch rong (“pole, stanchion”), German Runge (“stake, pole, stanchion”), Gothic 𐌷𐍂𐌿𐌲𐌲𐌰 (hrugga, “a staff”).
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)