baluster
Americannoun
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Architecture. any of a number of closely spaced supports for a railing.
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balusters, a balustrade.
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any of various symmetrical supports, as furniture legs or spindles, tending to swell toward the bottom or top.
noun
adjective
Other Word Forms
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:
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
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
He tried to stop himself by clutching the knob of the baluster, which broke; the result was that he dragged Mrs. Gonner with him in a glissade which ended behind the counter.
From The Early Life and Adventures of Sylvia Scarlett by MacKenzie, Compton
Stiffly upstanding on each chief baluster, Absently gaze the historical griffins, Plunged in their silent and deep meditation.
From The Call of the Mountains and other Poems by Pickering, James E.
Down they came hand in hand, little Phil holding tightly to the polished baluster, chattering as they went, like two wood-thrushes.
From In the High Valley Being the fifth and last volume of the Katy Did series by Coolidge, Susan
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.
