stairway

[stair-wey]

noun

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

stairway

/ ˈstɛəˌweɪ /

noun

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of stairway¹

First recorded in 1790–1800; stair + way ¹

Example Sentences

The children closed the door behind them, and walked past wooden railings and stairways and up a ramp to a platform in the back corner of the barn.

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Work on decorative details, sculptures and a stairway leading to the building's main entrance is expected to continue over the next decade.

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Police said they believed the couple had tried escaping through the window because thick smoke from the fire had blocked the stairway, local media report.

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Bursting forth, for me at least, are birds of paradise, galaxies, floating stairways, even an octopus.

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This meant that he knew the rear stairway on a 727 could be lowered in flight.

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Related Words

• staircase 
• stairwell