newel post

American  

noun

1. a post supporting one end of a handrail at the top or bottom of a flight of stairs.

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newel post British  

noun

1. Sometimes shortened to: newel.  the post at the top or bottom of a flight of stairs that supports the handrail

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Etymology

Origin of newel post

First recorded in 1790–1800

Example Sentences

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

However, the newel post and railing had been replaced during a previous renovation and had a different stain that had yellowed over time, resulting in a kind of Franken-staircase.

From Seattle Times

Twin elephants carry newel post lamps on the staircase.

From New York Times

One luxuriated on a fluffy bedspread by a picture window overlooking Manhattan; another perched on a banister newel post, master of his empty household.

From New York Times

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