stair

American  

[stair] / stɛər /

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.

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stair British  

/ stɛə /

noun

1. one of a flight of stairs

2. a series of steps

   a narrow stair

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Other Word Forms

• stairless adjective
• stairlike adjective

Etymology

Origin of stair

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

Example Sentences

There’s a saying on Wall Street that “the market takes the stairs up and the elevator down.”

From The Wall Street Journal

With Zara on my heels, we take the stairs two at a time up to my room.

From Literature

Clare climbed the creaking stairs, treading carefully to avoid the places where the wood had rotted through.

From Literature

A coming model can even climb stairs, cleaning each step as it ascends.

From The Wall Street Journal

But when the basement lights were off and the others were distracted, a four-year-old could hide on the stairs and peep over the railing to see all of “Titanic,” rated PG-13 by the way.

From The Wall Street Journal

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