abseil

English

From German abseilen, from ab- (“down”) + Seil (“rope”).

abseil (third-person singular simple present abseils, present participle abseiling, simple past and past participle abseiled)

(intransitive) To descend a steep or vertical drop using a rope with a mechanical friction device or (classic abseil) by wrapping the rope around the body; to rappel. [First attested in the mid 20th century.][1]
- 2020 September 9, Paul Clifton, “Heavy rainfall causes landslip in Hampshire”, in Rail, page 11:
  Although only five miles north of Winchester, the tunnel is in a rural location with no road access. Contractors were only able to reach the site after cutting through thick vegetation and abseiling down the slope on ropes.

to descend a vertical drop using a rope

abseil (plural abseils)

A descent in mountaineering using a rope looped at the top and a friction device. [First attested in the mid 20th century.][1]

a descent by abseil

Brown, Lesley, editor (1933) The Shorter Oxford English Dictionary, 5th edition, Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press, published 2003, →ISBN, page 8

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