stairway

[ stair-wey ]
See synonyms for stairway on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. a passageway from one level, as of a building, to another by a series of stairs; staircase.

Origin of stairway

1
First recorded in 1790–1800; stair + way1

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use stairway in a sentence

  • Openings were then made from the surface at A and B, and stairways constructed reaching to a depth of thirty-nine feet.

    The Catacombs of Rome | William Henry Withrow
  • These stairways were partly lined with brick-work, but were chiefly cut in the solid tufa.

    The Catacombs of Rome | William Henry Withrow
  • Stairways are to be well lighted; they should be at the least five feet wide, and have landings half-way between each story.

  • The Norman was led down stairways, along stone galleries, where the air was foul and chill.

    God Wills It! | William Stearns Davis
  • All blindly, he knew they were mounting stairways, were gliding through murky passages.

    God Wills It! | William Stearns Davis

British Dictionary definitions for stairway

stairway

/ (ˈstɛəˌweɪ) /


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

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