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banisters

British

/ ˈbænɪstəz /

plural noun

the railing and supporting balusters on a staircase; balustrade

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of banisters

C17: altered from _baluster

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.

Along the banisters were motion-activated lights - one wrong step and they would flare on, announcing their presence.

From BBC • Feb. 25, 2026

Fans crammed shoulder‑to‑shoulder against the banisters and barricades, stretching jerseys, bobbleheads and posters toward her for autographs.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 6, 2025

Examples include the front door, mantle, archways, stair banisters, central tables or kitchen islands and windows.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 1, 2023

I love the circular marble stairs with carved wooden banisters and wrought-iron posts that climb past the Vazrajdane theater, which shares the old building.

From Washington Post • Aug. 18, 2022

Their Dad picked his teeth with a matchstick and took his feet down from the banisters.

From "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter" by Carson McCullers

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023