banister

noun

ban·​is·​ter ˈba-nə-stər 

variants or less commonly bannister

1

a

: a handrail with its supporting posts

b

: handrail

2

: baluster sense 2

banistered

ˈba-nə-stərd 

adjective

Synonyms

• balustrade
• guardrail
• rail
• railing

Examples of banister in a Sentence

The children love to slide down the banister.

She held the banister tightly.

Recent Examples on the Web

During his first trip inside, McNally found a crowbar hovering over a banister and an empty beer can on a shelf. —Olivia Diaz, Washington Post, 22 June 2024

Wooden banisters draped in lights hang from the ceiling. —Blaine Callahan, Hartford Courant, 17 Apr. 2024

Our stars weave up and down and in and out of a multilevel room replete with stairs and banisters and handrails and furniture for jumping on (and throwing villains off) and over and through. —Vikram Murthi, Vulture, 4 Mar. 2024

Fire escapes look corroded and other metal fixtures such as banisters have been coated to look old or rusty, while walls appear water-stained. —Roger Vincent, Los Angeles Times, 17 May 2024

Word History

Etymology

alteration of baluster

First Known Use

1641, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

banister

noun

ban·​is·​ter

variants also bannister

ˈban-ə-stər

1

: one of the slender posts used to support the handrail of a staircase

2

: a handrail with its supporting posts

3

: the handrail of a staircase