stairwell

American  

[stair-wel] / ˈstɛərˌwɛl /

Or stair well

noun

1. the vertical shaft or opening containing a stairway.

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stairwell British  

/ ˈstɛəˌwɛl /

noun

1. a vertical shaft or opening that contains a staircase

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Etymology

Origin of stairwell

First recorded in 1915–20; stair + well ²

Compare meaning

How does stairwell compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• stairwell vs. staircase

Example Sentences

Another wave crashed in the room below, and water sprayed up through the stairwell, sloshing on the upstairs carpet.

From Literature

It was September, and we were sheltering from the pouring rain, in an outside metal stairwell next to a giant ship being built by BAE Systems on the banks of the Clyde in Glasgow.

From BBC

Both women say it happened in a blind spot in a dark stairwell.

From Los Angeles Times

And when, in the dim stairwell, they kissed, the girl believed that this was what the poets and playwrights meant when they wrote of love.

From Literature

I hide inside my hoodie until the bell rings for first period, then I sneak down to my little place under the stairwell and curl up to sleep.

From Literature

Related Words

• staircase