Banister

4 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Baluster \Bal"us*ter\, n. [F. balustre, It. balaustro, fr. L.
     balaustium the flower of the wild pomegranate, fr. Gr.
     balay`stion; -- so named from the similarity of form.]
     (Arch.)
     A small column or pilaster, used as a support to the rail of
     an open parapet, to guard the side of a staircase, or the


     front of a gallery. See {Balustrade}. [Corrupted into
     {banister}.]
     [1913 Webster]

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Banister \Ban"is*ter\, n. [A corruption of baluster.]
     1. A baluster.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. (sing. or pl.) The balustrade of a staircase. Formerly
        used in this sense mostly in the plural, now mostly in the
        singular. [Also spelled {bannister}.]
        [1913 Webster +PJC]
  
              He struggled to ascend the pulpit stairs, holding
              hard on the banisters.                --Sir W.
                                                    Scott.

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  banister
       n : a railing at the side of a staircase or balcony to prevent
           people from falling [syn: {bannister}, {balustrade}, {balusters},
            {handrail}]

From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:

  48 Moby Thesaurus words for "banister":
     Samson post, baluster, balustrade, base, caryatid, colonnade,
     column, dado, die, doorjamb, doorpost, footstalk, gatepost,
     hitching post, jack, jamb, king post, milepost, mullion,
     newel-post, pedestal, pedicel, peduncle, pier, pilaster, pile,
     piling, pillar, plinth, pole, post, queen-post, rail, shaft,
     signpost, snubbing post, socle, staff, stalk, stanchion, stand,
     standard, stem, stile, subbase, surbase, trunk, upright