banister
Americannoun
-
banisters
plural
-
a baluster.
-
Sometimes banisters. the balustrade of a staircase.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of banister
First recorded in 1660–70; apparently by dissimilation from earlier barrister, alteration of baluster, perhaps by association with bar 1
Compare meaning
How does banister compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The velvety silhouette feels as distant as the sea, whose dark surface is sliced by the banister.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 20, 2026
She can now ride her bike again and walk up stairs "without hanging on to the banister".
From BBC ● May 22, 2025
“And then literally at the same time, on another channel, there was Jamie,” he recalled in an interview last week, “this floppy-haired Essex boy, sliding down the banister doing one-pot wonders.”
From New York Times ● Jan. 27, 2024
There were icicle lights outside their rural Georgia home, garland on the banister and stockings hanging above the fireplace.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 21, 2023
She could hear them as she walked down the back stairs, her hand sliding down the polished wooden banister.
From "Ash" by Malinda Lo
Along the banisters were motion-activated lights - one wrong step and they would flare on, announcing their presence.
From BBC ● Feb. 25, 2026
Fire escapes look corroded and other metal fixtures such as banisters have been coated to look old or rusty, while walls appear water-stained.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 17, 2024
Examples include the front door, mantle, archways, stair banisters, central tables or kitchen islands and windows.
From Seattle Times ● Dec. 1, 2023
CAPABLE, deploying its multi-specialty team and a modest budget of $1,300 per household for repairs, equipment and installation, offers low-income residents not only bathroom equipment but also kitchen grabbers, well-anchored banisters and other useful articles.
From New York Times ● Apr. 23, 2021
The central staircase, marble with brass banisters, decorated with fresh flowers in summer and wreaths in winter, was missing treads.
From "Not Nothing" by Gayle Forman
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
