escalade

UK: /ˌɛskəˈleɪd/

US: (es′kə lād′, -läd′, es′kə lād′, -läd′)

Inflections of 'escalade' (v): (⇒ conjugate)

escalades

v 3rd person singular

escalading

v pres p

escaladed

v past

escaladed

v past p

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

es•ca•lade  (es′kə lād′, -läd′, es′kə lād′, -läd′), n., v., -lad•ed, -lad•ing. 
n. 

1. a scaling or mounting by means of ladders, esp. in an assault upon a fortified place.

v.t. 

2. to mount, pass, or enter by means of ladders.

• Old Provencal *escalada, equivalent. to escal(ar) to scale³ + -ada -ade¹
• Middle French
• 1590–1600

es′ca•lad′er, n. 

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

escalade / ˌɛskəˈleɪd/ noun

1. an assault by the use of ladders, esp on a fortification

verb

1. to gain access to (a place) by the use of ladders

Etymology: 16th Century: from French, from Italian scalata, from scalare to mount, scale³