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stair

American  
[stair] / stɛər /

noun

  1. one of a flight or series of steps for going from one level to another, as in a building.

  2. stairs, such steps collectively, especially as forming a flight or a series of flights.

    I was so excited I ran all the way up the stairs.

  3. a series or flight of steps; stairway.

    a winding stair.


stair British  
/ stɛə /

noun

  1. one of a flight of stairs

  2. a series of steps

    a narrow stair

"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

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of stair

before 1000; Middle English stey ( e ) r, Old English stǣger; cognate with Dutch, Low German steiger landing; akin to sty 1

Vocabulary lists containing stair

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.

Still, amid the delights of Mr. Koolhaas’s stair, there are reminders that he is part of the generation of Deconstructivist architects who disdained the profession’s traditional values of unity, harmony and stability.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 20, 2026

That could include outstanding medical bills from the past six years, in-home care or safety upgrades like wheelchair access, modifying a bathroom or adding a stair lift to a home.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 4, 2026

Single stair, and the fate of Culver City’s ordinance specifically, represents an early California acid test.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 23, 2025

The party counters with its own riff on what it sees as its greatest hits – they had one for every stair between the ground and first floor of the conference centre.

From BBC • Oct. 13, 2025

As soon as I dared I ran up the winding stair, and looked out of the window, which opened south.

From "Dracula" by Bram Stoker

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