handrail

American  

[hand-reyl] / ˈhændˌreɪl /

noun

handrails plural

1. a rail serving as a support or guard at the side of a stairway, platform, etc.

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handrail British  

/ ˈhændˌreɪl /

noun

1. a rail alongside a stairway, etc, at a convenient height to be grasped to provide support

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• handrails
  plural

Etymology

Origin of handrail

First recorded in 1785–95; hand + rail ¹

Example Sentences

Liccardo also asked for nearly $1 million in promised funds from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for a handrail project on the pier and an additional $9 million to protect coastal bluffs.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 16, 2026

The collection’s key motif was a curved red handrail designed for Milan’s 60-year-old red line by the late architect Franco Albini.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 13, 2024

With Bueno’s help, I taped the handrail as best I could.

From Salon • Dec. 5, 2023

He gripped the handrail on either side of the stairs and forced his foot onto the first step.

From New York Times • Nov. 20, 2023

I pulled my hood over my head and started down the steps, passing an old guy clutching the handrail.

From "City of the Plague God" by Sarwat Chadda