English

Creeping Jacob’s ladder (flowering plant), Polemonium reptans.

Jacob's Ladder (ascending electrical arc)

Noun

Jacob's ladder ‎(plural Jacob's ladders)

1. A flowering plant of the genus Polemonium.
2. (nautical) A vertical ladder from the ratline to the upper masts.
3. A toy consisting of blocks of wood, held together by strings or ribbons, that appear to cascade downward as they flip over.
4. A pocketknife consisting of two handle segments joined by a pivot, with a blade connected by a second pivot to the end of one handle segment.
5. (mathematics) A noncompact surface resembling a ladder made of handlebodies.
6. A high-voltage electrical device used as a visual effect in old movies which has a pair of vertical electrodes that form an arc between them starting at the bottom, rising to the top, then repeating.
7. (Britain) A serving of short ribs.