stair

noun

ˈster 

1

: a series of steps or flights of steps for passing from one level to another

—often used in plural but singular or plural in construction

a narrow private stairs

—Lewis Mumford

2

: a single step of a stairway

Examples of stair in a Sentence

She ran down the stairs.

He waited at the foot of the stairs.

She slipped and fell down the stairs.

The stairs lead to the roof.

We had to climb another flight of stairs to get to the roof.

He tripped on the bottom stair and almost fell.

Recent Examples on the Web

Without them, firefighters would have to lug their heavy hoses up flights of stairs manually. —James Barron, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2025

At the top of those stairs, team officials devoted an entire lounge to the dogs, including a pet relief station equipped with artificial grass. —Josh Robbins, The Athletic, 6 Jan. 2025

Threat level: When elevators are out of order, people who are unable to take the stairs or have difficulty doing so are thrust into a crisis. —Nathan Bomey, Axios, 5 Jan. 2025

Security footage shows one officer pointing a grenade or tear-gas launcher at rioters’ heads as members of Congress rush down a nearby staircase, slipping on the fire extinguisher residue that coats the stairs. —Sarah D. Wire, USA TODAY, 4 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English steir, from Old English stǣger; akin to Old English & Old High German stīgan to rise, Greek steichein to walk

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing stair

• stair climber
• stair climbing
• stair stepper

Kids Definition

stair

noun

ˈsta(ə)r 

ˈste(ə)r

1

: a series of steps or flights of steps for passing from one level to another

—often used in plural

ran down the stairs

2

: one step of a stairway