Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English - rope

~1 n 1 very strong, thick string, made by twisting together many threads of nylon or other material  (They tied up the prisoner with rope. | a bell rope) 2 know the ropes to know how to do all the parts of a job, deal with a system etc, because you have a lot of experience of it 3 show sb the ropes to teach someone how to do a job or deal with a system  (This is Shirley's first day, so will you show her the ropes?) 4 be on the ropes informal to be in a very bad situation, in which you are likely to be defeated 5 give sb plenty of rope to give someone a lot of freedom to do something in the way they want to do it 6 give sb enough rope to hang themselves to give someone freedom to do what they want to do, because you think they will cause problems for themselves 7 be at the end of your rope especially AmE to have no more patience or strength left to deal with a problem or a difficult situation 8 the rope old-fashioned hanging as a punishment 9 the ropes the rope fence that surrounds an area used for boxing or wrestling 10 a rope of pearls pearls on a string, worn around your neck as jewellery  (- see also jump rope, money for old rope money (16)) ~2 v 1 T always + adv/prep to tie things together using rope  (rope sth to sth)  (Harvey roped his horse to a nearby tree. | rope sb/sth together)  (Two firemen roped themselves together and plunged into the lake.) 2 AmE to catch an animal using a circle of rope rope sb in phr v informal to persuade someone to help you in a job, or to join in an activity, especially when they do not want to  (rope sb in to do sth)  (I've roped Dad in to help with the entertainment. | rope sb into doing sth)  (Have you been roped into selling tickets?) rope sth off phr v to surround an area with ropes, especially in order to separate it from another area  (Last night police roped off the area of the find.)