Main Entry: bal·us·ter

Pronunciation: \ˈba-lə-stər\

Function: noun

Etymology: French balustre, from Italian balaustro, from balaustra wild pomegranate flower, from Latin balaustium, from Greek balaustion; from its shape

Date: 1602

1 : an object or vertical member (as the leg of a table, a round in a chair back, or the stem of a glass) having a vaselike or turned outline
2 : an upright often vase-shaped support for a rail