# staircase

/ˈstɛɹˌkeɪs/ (US) · /stˈeəkeɪs/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/staircase
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. stairs in a building

noun · CEFR B1

a set of stairs inside a building that you use to go from one floor to another.

For teachers: a series of steps and their supporting structure, including the banisters and landings, used for vertical circulation within a building.

- The hotel has a beautiful wooden staircase that leads up to the guest rooms.
- The grand marble staircase served as the architectural centrepiece of the foyer, sweeping upwards in a graceful curve toward the gallery.

### 2. canal locks

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical

a series of locks on a canal that are built one after another like steps.

For teachers: a series of canal locks where the lower gate of one lock serves as the upper gate of the next, allowing boats to change elevation.

- It took the boat nearly two hours to pass through the five-lock staircase.
- The engineering team inspected the staircase locks to ensure the masonry could withstand the increased water pressure during the spring floods.

### 3. to change a signal

verb · CEFR C2 · Technical

to change a smooth line or signal into a series of sharp steps.

For teachers: to modify a continuous signal or mathematical curve into a discrete series of steps or increments.

- The software will staircase the data to make it easier to read on the chart.
- By staircasing the analogue input, the processor can more effectively categorise the voltage fluctuations into distinct digital states.

## Examples

- The old house has a creaky wooden staircase.
- Be careful walking down the spiral staircase; the steps are quite narrow.
- Sunlight from the tall window illuminated the dust motes dancing in the air above the grand marble staircase.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.