stairwell

American  

[stair-wel] / ˈstɛərˌwɛl /

Or stair well

noun

1. the vertical shaft or opening containing a stairway.

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stairwell British  

/ ˈstɛəˌwɛl /

noun

1. a vertical shaft or opening that contains a staircase

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Etymology

Origin of stairwell

First recorded in 1915–20; stair + well ²

Compare meaning

How does stairwell compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• stairwell vs. staircase

Example Sentences

Alex Warren, meanwhile, is being made to march down a stairwell past a kindly looking grandmother typing away on her phone as he pours his heart out in “Ordinary.”

From Los Angeles Times

We were stood packed on stairwells for what felt like forever, and I had awful back pain afterwards.

From BBC

Another wave crashed in the room below, and water sprayed up through the stairwell, sloshing on the upstairs carpet.

From Literature

It was September, and we were sheltering from the pouring rain, in an outside metal stairwell next to a giant ship being built by BAE Systems on the banks of the Clyde in Glasgow.

From BBC

Both women say it happened in a blind spot in a dark stairwell.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• staircase