Word
stair
US/ˈstɛɹ/
UK/stˈeə/
Definitions
01a single step
A2 · Elementary Countable noun
n. one of the steps in a set of stairs.
n. a single step in a staircase or flight of steps.
Español:peldaño
“She sat down on the bottom stair to tie her shoelaces before going outside.”
“The old wooden stair creaked loudly under his weight, alerting everyone in the house to his presence.”
Usage
Usually refers to the physical structure of one step.
02a set of steps
A2 · Elementary Plural noun
n. a series of steps inside a building; a staircase.
n. a flight of steps or a staircase; almost exclusively used in the plural form 'stairs' in this sense.
Español:escalera
“I was out of breath after climbing three flights of stairs to the office.”
“The grand marble stairs swept up from the foyer, branching into two separate galleries on the mezzanine level.”
Usage
Commonly used in the plural 'stairs' to refer to the entire structure.
Pitfall
I went up the stair to my bedroom.
I went up the stairs to my bedroom.
When talking about the whole set of steps, always use the plural 'stairs'.
Teaching tip
Remind students that 'stairs' is the standard way to refer to the way up or down, while 'staircase' is more formal or descriptive.
Etymology
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.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Idioms
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.A2 KeyIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.3.0–4.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 2.0–2.524–43TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.225–549
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- A2 · ElementaryOxford
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/stair
Traducciones: Kaikki.org (Wiktionary), CC BY-SA 4.0