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

The patriarch, who started the digging, had recently suffered a stroke and needed help just to go down the stairs. —Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 13 Dec. 2025

The comedian was seen slumped over a set of stairs outside a building in Hollywood as friends attempted to help him, according to photos obtained by TMZ. —Sarah Jones, PEOPLE, 12 Dec. 2025

Squats Squats strengthen your quadriceps, glutes, and core, which are important for doing sit-to-stands, climbing stairs, and preventing falls. —Rikkilynn Shields Hannigan, Health, 11 Dec. 2025

But ask a robot to perform seemingly easy tasks, say, climbing up stairs or grabbing a glass of water, and many of todays droids still struggle. —Nicholas Gordon, Fortune, 11 Dec. 2025

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