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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

Bunting, usually reserved for opening day, hung from the banisters.

From Seattle Times • Jul. 2, 2021

We were told to keep them away from our faces — keep them from people and banisters and elevator buttons and other destinations toward which they were naturally inclined.

From New York Times • Mar. 12, 2021

Just 12 years separate the nation from this tradition of political competition bounded by banisters of good manners.

From Washington Post • Oct. 20, 2020

Just as the party was setting out, Amy called over the banisters in a threatening tone, “You’ll be sorry for this, Jo March, see if you ain’t.”

From "Little Women" by Louisa May Alcott

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