baluster

American  

[bal-uh-ster] / ˈbæl ə stər /

noun

1. Architecture. any of a number of closely spaced supports for a railing.

2. balusters, a balustrade.

3. any of various symmetrical supports, as furniture legs or spindles, tending to swell toward the bottom or top.

---

baluster British  

/ ˈbæləstə /

noun

1. any of a set of posts supporting a rail or coping

---

adjective

1. (of a shape) swelling at the base and rising in a concave curve to a narrow stem or neck

   a baluster goblet stem

Other Word Forms

• balustered adjective

Etymology

Origin of baluster

1595–1605; < French, Middle French balustre < Italian balaustro pillar shaped like the calyx of the pomegranate flower, ultimately < Latin balaustium < Greek balaústion pomegranate flower

Compare meaning

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

• banister vs. baluster

Explanation

A baluster is a spindle or pillar in the railing of a stairway. Many balusters together make up a balustrade. The rungs in a staircase that you tap your fingers against as you descend are each called a baluster. Wooden balusters are made from wood that's carved with a lathe into a distinctive curved shape. The railing around a patio or terrace might be made of balusters, small decorative columns. Baluster comes from the Italian balaustro, "pillar," from balausta, "flower of the wild pomegranate," which has a stem with baluster-like double curves.

Example Sentences

They are designed for a baluster style of railing with pickets and can’t be used with all railing types.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 25, 2021

One stair baluster is still broken; its loose base has scratched the floor, and its paint is chipped and old.

From New York Times • Jul. 29, 2010

At the end of the stairs there was a banana-tree, whose wide leaves fell down over the velvet of the baluster.

From Sentimental Education Vol 1 by Flaubert, Gustave

The highest, the one on the west side, has a Corinthian capital and is enriched in front by a statue under a canopy standing on a corbel upheld by a slender baluster shaft.

From Portuguese Architecture by Watson, Walter Crum

When he last saw his betrothed alive, it was in that same place, and almost in a similar attitude—leaning over the baluster rail.

From Gwen Wynn by Reid, Mayne