stair
n. countablen. one of the steps in a set of stairs that you use to walk up or down to another floor.
n. an individual step in a series of steps connecting different levels of a building.
He sat down on the bottom stair to tie his shoes.
The old wooden stair creaked loudly as she tried to walk up to her bedroom without waking anyone.
Architects must ensure that each individual stair maintains a consistent height and depth to prevent tripping hazards in public stairwells.
From Middle English steire, staire, stayre, stayer, steir, steyre, steyer, from Old English stǣġer (“stair, staircase”), from Proto-West Germanic staigri, from Proto-Germanic staigriz (“stairs, scaffolding”), from Proto-Indo-European *steygʰ- (“to walk, proceed, march, climb”). Cognate with Dutch steiger (“a stair, step, wharf, pier, scaffolding”), Middle Low German steiger, steir (“scaffolding”), German Low German Steiger (“a scaffold; trestle”). Related to Old English āstǣġan (“to ascend, go up, embark”), Old English stīġan (“to go, move, reach; ascend, mount, go up, spring up, rise; scale”), German Stiege (“a flight of stairs”). More at sty.
Commonly used in the plural ('stairs') to refer to the entire structure, while the singular refers to a single step.
- 01
Apples and pears
[Cockney slang]stairs
To the Cockney, the phrase "steps and stairs" describes the idea of gradation. Every good costermonger has skill in displaying the front of his stall. The selected samples of fruit and vegetables are expertly graded in "steps and stairs". Apples and pears, when in season, are common on each barrow and, when polished, create an arresting display.
- 02
come down in stair rods
To rain heavily in long streaks.
- 03
missing stair
A member of a community who is widely but privately known within that community for abusiveness or other harmful behavior that has not been addressed.