stairway

American  

[stair-wey] / ˈstɛərˌweɪ /

noun

1. a passageway from one level, as of a building, to another by a series of stairs; staircase.

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stairway British  

/ ˈstɛəˌweɪ /

noun

1. a means of access consisting of stairs; staircase or flight of steps

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Etymology

Origin of stairway

First recorded in 1790–1800; stair + way ¹

Example Sentences

Blue ribbons symbolising the victims adorn the airport, while letters remembering the dead line the stairways.

From Barron's

He is said to control a path to the “Infinite Land,” which turns out to be a literal stairway to heaven.

From The Wall Street Journal

Thick smoke filled the stairways and rose above the waterfront development.

From The Wall Street Journal

The sole stairway itself must either be pressurized to keep out the smoke or open air.

From Los Angeles Times

I watch them walk under a rounded doorframe and descend a stairway leading into a huge auditorium the size of a football field.

From Literature

Related Words

• staircase
• stairwell