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stair

American  
[stair] / stɛər /

noun

stairs plural
  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

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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.

Aerobic activities included brisk walking, running, jogging, swimming, cycling, tennis, squash, strenuous outdoor work, and stair climbing.

From Science Daily • Jun. 12, 2026

Despite "training five hours a day" and "running, walking, biking, stair climbing", she told the show she had no other choice but to "try something different".

From BBC • Jun. 1, 2026

There are elements in the staircase where the execution is shockingly crude, as in the loosely attached and poorly aligned metal panels capping the stair railing.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 20, 2026

The new wing was designed by Shohei Shigematsu and Rem Koolhaas with Cooper Robertson, and has the geometric look of angular mesh enveloping an open stair case, elevator shafts and display spaces.

From Barron's • Mar. 18, 2026

The corridor we were in ended in a back stair, surrounded by doors that opened on more corridors, all more or less alike.

From "Ella Enchanted" by Gail Carson Levine

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