The horizontal steps or bars that make up the steps of a ladder, or figuratively, levels in a hierarchy or progression.
From Old English 'hrung,' related to the Proto-Germanic 'hrungan.' The word originally referred to any rod or bar, and its ladder meaning developed as the most common application. The plural 'rungs' emerged in Middle English.
Interestingly, 'rung' comes from the same Germanic root as the German word 'Ring' (ring), because both are circular or bar-like structures—ladders and rings share that satisfying roundness! The phrase 'climb the rungs' became such a metaphor for social mobility that we often forget we're talking about actual wooden steps.
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