stirrup

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

• noun A flat-based loop or ring hung from either side of a horse's saddle to support the rider's foot in mounting and riding; a stirrup iron.
• noun A part or device shaped like an inverted U in which something is supported, held, or fixed.
• noun A rope on a ship that hangs from a yard and has an eye at the end through which a footrope is passed for support.

from The Century Dictionary.

• noun A support for the foot of a person mounted on a horse, usually a metal loop with the bottom part flat and corrugated or finished with points to give a hold to the sole of the boot and to aid in mounting.
• noun Nautical, a rope with an eye at its end, through which a foot-rope is rove, and by which it is supported.
• noun In machinery, any piece resembling in shape and functions the stirrup of a saddle, as the iron loop by which a mill-saw hangs from the muley-head or in the sash.
• noun In carpentry, etc., an iron loop-strap or other device for securing a rafter-post or -strut to a tie, or for supporting a beam, etc.
• noun A hold for the foot at the end of the stock of a large crossbow, to keep it firm while the bow is bent and the string drawn to the notch. See cut under arbalister.
• noun In anatomy, the stapes or stirrup-bone.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

• noun A kind of ring, or bent piece of metal, wood, leather, or the like, horizontal in one part for receiving the foot of a rider, and attached by a strap to the saddle, -- used to assist a person in mounting a horse, and to enable him to sit steadily in riding, as well as to relieve him by supporting a part of the weight of the body.
• noun (Carp. & Mach.) Any piece resembling in shape the stirrup of a saddle, and used as a support, clamp, etc. See Bridle iron.
• noun (Naut.) A rope secured to a yard, with a thimble in its lower end for supporting a footrope.
• noun (Anat.) the stapes.
• noun a parting cup taken after mounting.
• noun an iron stirrup.
• noun the strap which attaches a stirrup to the saddle. See Stirrup, 1.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

• noun A foot rest used by horse-riders.
• noun anatomy A stapes.
• noun Any piece shaped like the stirrup of a saddle, used as a support, clamp, etc.
• noun nautical A rope secured to a yard, with a thimble in its lower end for supporting a footrope.
• adjective Referring to women's pants, a form of trousers commonly worn by women that includes a strap beneath the arch of the foot.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

• noun the stirrup-shaped ossicle that transmits sound from the incus to the cochlea
• noun support consisting of metal loops into which rider's feet go