riser

[ rahy-zer ]

noun

1. a person who rises, especially from bed:

   to be an early riser.

2. the vertical face of a stair step.
3. any of a group of long boards or narrow platforms that can be combined in stepwise fashion:

   The choir stood on a horseshoe of risers behind the orchestra.

4. a vertical pipe, duct, or conduit.
5. Metallurgy. a chamber or enlarged opening at the top of a mold for allowing air to escape or adding extra metal.
6. Nautical.
   1. a heavy strake of planking in the vicinity of the garboard strake in a wooden vessel.
   2. rising ( def 10 ).

riser

/ ˈraɪzə /

noun

1. a person who rises, esp from bed

   an early riser

2. the vertical part of a stair or step
3. a vertical pipe, esp one within a building

Word History and Origins

Origin of riser¹

Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; rise, -er ¹

Example Sentences

In a video shared by CBS News’ Taureen Small, the man can be seen climbing the riser before being pulled down by a gaggle of sheriff’s deputies.

From Salon

At the close of the show, Elliott was lifted by a hydraulic riser with jets of smoke streaming around her, as if she were ascending to the heavens in the mother ship.

From Los Angeles Times

He wasn’t the only guitarist booked to work with Luther, a group fronted by Luther Vandross, but Rodgers was the youngest, making him an easy target when Paul Riser, the Motown veteran arranging the session, noted something he didn’t like.

From New York Times

So even if there weren’t all these guests in between us at the press riser and the microphone, there’s music playing.

From Slate

And pretty much all press had left and I was just hanging on the press riser and I was trying to get the president’s attention.

From Slate