newel
Americannoun
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a central pillar or upright from which the steps of a winding stair radiate.
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(on an escalator) the horizontal section of railing at the upper or lower end.
noun
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the central pillar of a winding staircase, esp one that is made of stone
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See newel post
Etymology
Origin of newel
1325–75; earlier nuel, Middle English nowel < Middle French no ( u ) el kernel, newel < Late Latin *nucāle, noun use of neuter of nucālis of a nut, nutlike, equivalent to Latin nuc- (stem of nux ) nut + -ālis -al 1
Explanation
A newel is a post or pole that supports a spiral staircase or one end of a flight of stairs. When you put your hand on the banister of a stairway, you can see that the banister is held in place by a newel. Newels are important structural elements of a stairway, providing the central support for a spiral staircase that winds around it, or holding up one end of a straight flight of stairs. Most newels are also decorative, with carved posts or fancy trim. Newel comes from the Old French word nouel, "knob or stone," from the Latin nodulus, the diminutive form of nodus, or "knot."
Vocabulary lists containing newel
Learning Down The House: Parts of Your Home
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Architecture 101
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Chasing Vermeer
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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.
Among the artefacts found in the house are two angels, carved from oak, which once stood as newel posts at the foot of the house's main stairway.
From BBC ● Aug. 31, 2024
Twin elephants carry newel post lamps on the staircase.
From New York Times ● Jun. 7, 2023
She paints portraits of people’s homes, focusing on one modest detail — a doorstop, a newel post or the fringed trim of a curtain.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 29, 2022
It has pine floors, large windows, period trim and stairs with a carved wooden newel post.
From Washington Post ● Sep. 26, 2018
Ishmael put his hand on the newel post at the bottom of the stairway, then removed it and shone the flashlight beam upward.
From "Snow Falling on Cedars: A Novel" by David Guterson
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.
