handrail

American  

[hand-reyl] / ˈhændˌreɪl /

noun

1. a rail serving as a support or guard at the side of a stairway, platform, etc.

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handrail British  

/ ˈhændˌreɪl /

noun

1. a rail alongside a stairway, etc, at a convenient height to be grasped to provide support

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Etymology

Origin of handrail

First recorded in 1785–95; hand + rail ¹

Example Sentences

“He stands outside, in the dark London night, sobbing and unsteady, the handrail only a few feet away. And below that is the cold hard pavement,” Henry writes in her book.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 18, 2024

The collection’s key motif was a curved red handrail designed for Milan’s 60-year-old red line by the late architect Franco Albini.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 13, 2024

I should give it a few tugs at the top to yield the bolt a bit, and the final force needed would be 60 pounds linear at the top of the handrail.

From Salon • Dec. 5, 2023

He gripped the handrail on either side of the stairs and forced his foot onto the first step.

From New York Times • Nov. 20, 2023

I count the stairs as we walk up—18—and don’t touch the handrail.

From "The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl" by Stacy McAnulty