Meaning of Penrose steps | Babel Free

Definitions

An impossible loop of endlessly ascending and descending stairs, or an optical illusion appearing to be one.

plural, plural-only

Examples

“In a dream⟳, you can cheat architecture into impossible shapes. That lets you create⟳ closed loops, like⟳ the Penrose Steps. The infinite staircase.”

“I'll have⟳ my heaven, / Where heaven is love⟳ and love⟳ is my heaven. / I just have⟳ to climb⟳ through those Penrose steps! / Till I find⟳ sky number⟳ seven.”

“At this book's inception, when we came to, we found ourselves already traipsing around Penrose steps, already reactively enclosed in an unceasing loop.”

CEFR level