banister
Americannoun
-
a baluster.
-
Sometimes banisters. the balustrade of a staircase.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of banister
First recorded in 1660–70; apparently by dissimilation from earlier barrister, alteration of baluster, perhaps by association with bar 1
Compare meaning
How does banister compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
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.
See Examples For:
The velvety silhouette feels as distant as the sea, whose dark surface is sliced by the banister.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 20, 2026
The inquest also heard two statements from firefighters Leighton Brown and Gareth Davies who said the stairs banister, ceiling and the whole of the landing was “covered in smoke and fire” on their arrival.
From BBC ● Nov. 18, 2024
“And then literally at the same time, on another channel, there was Jamie,” he recalled in an interview last week, “this floppy-haired Essex boy, sliding down the banister doing one-pot wonders.”
From New York Times ● Jan. 27, 2024
There were icicle lights outside their rural Georgia home, garland on the banister and stockings hanging above the fireplace.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 21, 2023
So I hang my rug over the banister on the deck and walk a few steps toward the woods.
From "Please Ignore Vera Dietz" by A.S. King
Along the banisters were motion-activated lights - one wrong step and they would flare on, announcing their presence.
From BBC ● Feb. 25, 2026
A 1960s life-size mirrored figure by the Italian artist Claudio Platania and the French fashion designer Pierre Cardin stood on one of the home’s landings, reflecting the angular carvings of the original pine banisters.
From New York Times ● Mar. 15, 2024
Going from banisters and concrete artists to building 96-square-feet homes “has been a very huge 180,” Dubroca said in May.
From Seattle Times ● Dec. 3, 2020
Just 12 years separate the nation from this tradition of political competition bounded by banisters of good manners.
From Washington Post ● Oct. 20, 2020
I grabbed my book and rode the banisters down to the first floor, where I found Wheelie at her desk in the main office.
From "When You Reach Me" by Rebecca Stead
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.
