stair

[ stair ]

noun

1. one of a flight or series of steps for going from one level to another, as in a building.
2. stairs, such steps collectively, especially as forming a flight or a series of flights:

   I was so excited I ran all the way up the stairs.

3. a series or flight of steps; stairway:

   a winding stair.

stair

/ stɛə /

noun

1. one of a flight of stairs
2. a series of steps

   a narrow stair

Other Words From

• stairless adjective
• stairlike adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of stair¹

before 1000; Middle English stey ( e ) r, Old English stǣger; cognate with Dutch, Low German steiger landing; akin to sty ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of stair¹

Old English stæger ; related to stīg narrow path, stīgan to ascend, descend, Old Norse steigurligr upright, Middle Dutch steiger ladder

Example Sentences

The other day I bounded out of bed and down the stairs, and I realized that was something I hadn’t done in quite a few years.

From Outside Online

So, if we’re going into someone’s home, you can’t be alone and drop the body down the stairs.

From Freakonomics

Boston Dynamics estimates it will take around 15 minutes to get you fully up to speed, but after a minute or two, I was able to send the robot up and down a flight of stairs at BD HQ.

From TechCrunch

Those who complimented me for taking the stairs for my health had no idea that it was for my mental health, not my physical health.

From Washington Post

The type and layout of your house might have an impact—especially if you have stairs to clean when the size and weight of the device can come into play.

From Popular-Science

The remote control contains mode selections for standing, walking, sitting, and stair up and down modes that the user can select.

From The Daily Beast

The smiling president immediately joked with the crowd, “I was so fired up, I missed a stair!”

From The Daily Beast

The young lady, hearing his step, turned round and stood on the stair, confronting him fiercely.

From Project Gutenberg

He made no further remark as they descended the darker section of the stair, and she could think of nothing to say to him.

From Project Gutenberg

As Isabel walked carefully down the slippery stair she veiled her eyes to hide the wonder in them.

From Project Gutenberg

He's in the room now, only one away from this, next the stair head, and Vargers is put to keep the door in the same room.

From Project Gutenberg

As they there stand for a minute under the lamp, Mr. Longcluse, gazing at him sternly from the stair, caught his eye.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• amount
• extent
• grade
• intensity
• point
• quality
• rate
• scale
• scope
• severity
• size
• standard
• strength
• term