ramp

Etymology 1

From French rampe, back-formation of Old French ramper, from Frankish *rampōn, *hrampōn (“to contract oneself”), from Proto-Germanic *hrimpaną. Akin to Old English hrimpan (“to wrinkle, rimple, rumple”), Old High German rimpfan (German rümpfen (“to wrinkle up”)). Compare Danish rimpe (“to fold" (archaic), "to baste”), Icelandic rimpa. More at rimple.

noun

1. An inclined surface that connects two levels; an incline.
2. An interchange, a road that connects a freeway to a surface street or another freeway.
3. A structure with an inclined surface made for stunts, as for jumping motorcycles or other vehicles.
4. (aviation) A mobile staircase that is attached to the doors of an aircraft at an airport.
5. (aviation) A large parking area in an airport for aircraft, for loading and unloading or for storage (see also apron and tarmac).
6. (aviation) A surface inside the air intake of a supersonic aircraft which adjusts in position to allow for efficient shock wave compression of incoming air at a wide range of different Mach numbers.
7. (skating) A construction used to do skating tricks, usually in the form of part of a pipe.
8. A scale of values.
   The RGB model uses the color component of light sources in order to produce more realistic and pleasant results. Internal color representations are always based on a palette-based color ramp. 2003, Julio Sanchez, Maria P. Canton, The PC Graphics Handbook, page 915
   We have created a volume ramp. Play the section in the Timeline and listen to the volume change. 2013, Sam Kauffmann, Ashley Kennedy, Avid Editing: A Guide for Beginning and Intermediate Users, page 40
9. A speed bump.
10. (slang) An act of violent robbery.
11. (Australia, slang) A search, conducted by authorities, of a prisoner or a prisoner's cell.
12. (obsolete) A leap or bound.
13. A concave bend at the top or cap of a railing, wall, or coping; a romp.

verb

1. To behave violently; to rage.
   Mick raged and ramped at the barred door till his voice failed, 1938, Xavier Herbert, chapter XII, in Capricornia, New York: D. Appleton-Century, published 1943, page 196
2. (slang, transitive) To rob violently.
3. (Australia, slang, transitive) To search a prisoner or a prisoner's cell.
4. (obsolete, intransitive) To spring; to leap; to bound, rear, or prance; to move swiftly or violently.
   I’ve seen a ramping equestrian statue of General St. Clare on the Embankment. 1911, G. K. Chesterton, “The Sign of the Broken Sword”, in The Innocence of Father Brown
   The shield was the colour of silver and across it there ramped a red lion, as bright as a ripe strawberry at the moment when you pick it. 1950, C. S. Lewis, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
5. (obsolete, intransitive) To climb, like a plant; to creep up.
6. (obsolete, intransitive) To stand in a rampant position.
   And that lyon gaped wyde and came vpon hym raumppynge to haue slayne hym. 1484, Thomas Malory, “Book Nine: The historye of La cote male tayle, Chapter 1”, in Le Morte d'Arthur
7. (transitive, intransitive) To (cause to) change value, often at a steady rate.
   If Q(t) < qᵖ then primary generation ramps up at maximal rate, subject to the constraint that Q(t) does not exceed this threshold. 2007, Sean Meyn, Control Techniques for Complex Networks, page 285
   The forces are ramped down gradually to ensure that element removal has a smooth effect on the model. 2011, Sheng Liu, Yong Liu, Modeling and Simulation for Microelectronic Packaging Assembly
8. To adapt a piece of iron to the woodwork of a gate.

Etymology 2

See ramson.

noun

1. An American plant, Allium tricoccum, related to the onion; a wild leek.
   A ramp is a potently flavored wild scallion, a vegetable with staying power. 2006, Su Clauson-Wicker, Off the Beaten Path West Virginia, volume 6, page 61
2. (Appalachia) A promiscuous man or woman.
3. (Appalachia, derogatory) A worthless person.