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
In their place a solitary figure sat on a baluster drinking smoke contemplatively from a pipe of clay.
From The Lady of Loyalty House A Novel by Justin H. (Justin Huntly) McCarthy
He steadied himself by grasping the baluster, and the doctor left him, and sent out Ducie.
From A Reconstructed Marriage by Amelia Edith Huddleston Barr
This cup, with a concave body and a baluster stem with a square foot, is marked “Moulton” and is in the style of Ebenezer Moulton who worked in Boston between 1768 and 1824.
From Presentation Pieces in the Museum of History and Technology Contributions from the Museum of History and Technology, Paper No. 47 [Smithsonian Institution] by Margaret Brown Klapthor
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