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Definition of stair

stair

/stɛər/
stair
Plural:stairs
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stair Lexical Profile

stair Game Scores & Validity

• noun

1

A series of steps or a flight of stairs connecting different floors or levels of a building.

Example

"We had to carry the heavy sofa up three flights of stairs."

2

A single step or one of a series of steps used for going from one level to another.

Example

"She tripped on the bottom stair and twisted her ankle."

Synonyms
View all synonyms for stair

Word Nuance & Usage

"Stair" is frequently confused with its homophone "stare" (to look fixedly). In modern English, it is overwhelmingly used in its plural form ("stairs") to refer to an entire flight, while the singular is reserved for a single step.

• Rhymes for stair

• Nearby Words

stainable
stainless
stainproof
stair
staircase
stairclimber
stairlift

Word Origin & Etymology

From Middle English 'steir', deriving from Old English 'stǣger' (stair, staircase), which is rooted in the Proto-Germanic verb '*stīganą' meaning 'to climb' or 'to go up'.

Usage Trend

Historical frequency of usage in published text.

180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Stair. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 6, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/stair
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