stair

noun

ˈster 

1

: a series of steps or flights of steps for passing from one level to another

—often used in plural but singular or plural in construction

… a narrow private stairs …

—Lewis Mumford

2

: a single step of a stairway

Examples of stair in a Sentence

She ran down the stairs.

He waited at the foot of the stairs.

She slipped and fell down the stairs.

The stairs lead to the roof.

We had to climb another flight of stairs to get to the roof.

He tripped on the bottom stair and almost fell.

Recent Examples on the Web

Outdoor wooden walkways and stairs, alight by the glow of lanterns, lead to three different kinds of suites, all equipped with classic Japanese cabinetry and comfortable beds. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 Nov. 2026

Additional sensors are also planned to help the robot navigate stairs and better understand its surroundings. — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 2 Nov. 2026

One humanoid robot wearing a bandana collapsed in a heap on the cobbled route before engineers rushed in to repair it, while another tumbled down a flight of stairs and came to rest beside a rubbish bin. — CBS News, 2 Nov. 2026

But Heder and the production team made a point of showing all of those, not just the stairs crafted to enter buildings, but putting the wheelchair-using cast in actual wheelchairs from the 1970s. — Kristen Lopez, IndieWire, 2 Nov. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English steir, from Old English stǣger; akin to Old English & Old High German stīgan to rise, Greek steichein to walk

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing stair

• stair climber
• stair climbing
• stair stepper

Rhymes for stair

• air
• ayre
• bahr
• bare
• blare
• care
• chair
• claire
• ere
• err
• eyre
• fair

Kids Definition

stair

noun

ˈsta(ə)r 

ˈste(ə)r

1

: a series of steps or flights of steps for passing from one level to another

—often used in plural

ran down the stairs

2

: one step of a stairway