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

On one occasion, the man reportedly told police his kidnappers dangled him by the feet from the eight-bedroom, six-story apartment’s top flight of stairs. —Sean Neumann, People.com, 30 May 2025

Staff members at the prison cut the sheet, put shackles on his feet and carried him down a flight of stairs to a hallway to perform CPR, according to a medical examiner’s report. —Ames Alexander, Charlotte Observer, 30 May 2025

Prosecutors said the victim was bound at the wrists, beaten, shocked with electric wires, drugged, hit in the head with a firearm and dangled over the top of stairs while being held, all to gain access to his Bitcoin password. —Jared Gans, The Hill, 27 May 2025

The witness then saw McMillan walk down the stairs and collapse, the affidavit said. —Kate Linderman, Kansas City Star, 27 May 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

Rhymes for stair

• air
• ayre
• bahr
• bare
• blare
• care
• chair
• claire
• ere
• err
• eyre
• fair

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