banister

B3A1N1I1S1T1E1R1
/ˈbænɪstɚ/

noun

The rail on the side of a staircase that a person's hand holds onto.

“wooden banister”

Similar
handrailbalusterbannisterbalustradebalusters
UncommonScrabble 10
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Meanings

banister1

nounbanister (plural banisters)

plural banisters · alternative bannister

  1. The rail on the side of a staircase that a person's hand holds onto.

    wooden banister

    4 more examples

    polished banister

    lean on the banister

    She slid down the wooden banister like a child.

    He grasped the banister as he climbed the stairs.

    Synonyms: handrail

  2. One of the vertical supports of such a handrail.

    Synonyms: baluster

verbbanister (third-person singular simple present banisters, present participle banistering, simple past and past participle banistered)

present singular third person banisters · participle present banistering · participle past banistered · past banistered · alternative bannister

  1. transitiveTo construct a banister.
  2. transitiveTo act as a banister.

Banister2

proper nounBanister (countable and uncountable, plural Banisters)

plural Banisters

  1. countableuncountableA surname originating as an occupation for a maker of baskets.
  2. countableuncountableAn unincorporated community and district in Pittsylvania County, Virginia, United States.

Synonyms & antonyms

nounThe rail on the side of a staircase that a person's hand holds onto.

Similar
handrail

nounOne of the vertical supports of such a handrail.

Similar
baluster

More synonyms by meaning

nouna railing at the side of a staircase or balcony to prevent people from falling

Similar
bannisterbalustradebalustershandrail
Broader
barrier
Also see
balusterbalustradebannisterhandrail

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

banister · noun, verb

Alteration of earlier barrester, ballester, corruptions of baluster.

Full word history & related roots →

Banister · proper noun

English and Norman surname, variant of Bannister.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic دَرَابْزُون
  • دَرَابْزُون (darābzūn)the handrail on the side of a staircase
Bulgarian парапет
  • парапет (parapet)the handrail on the side of a staircase
Catalan arrambador, balustre
  • arrambadorthe handrail on the side of a staircase
  • balustreone of the vertical supports of a handrail
Chinese Mandarin 欄杆
  • 欄杆 (lángān)the handrail on the side of a staircase
Czech zábradlí, sloupek zábradlí
  • zábradlíthe handrail on the side of a staircase
  • sloupek zábradlíone of the vertical supports of a handrail
Dutch baluster, leuning
  • balusterthe handrail on the side of a staircase
  • leuningthe handrail on the side of a staircase
Finnish kaide, kaidepuu
  • kaidethe handrail on the side of a staircase
  • kaidepuuthe handrail on the side of a staircase
  • porraskaidethe handrail on the side of a staircase
  • kaidepinnaone of the vertical supports of a handrail
French rampe, balustre
  • rampethe handrail on the side of a staircase
  • balustreone of the vertical supports of a handrail
German Geländer, Geländerpfosten
  • Geländerthe handrail on the side of a staircase
  • Geländerpfostenone of the vertical supports of a handrail
Greek κιγκλίδωμα, κάγκελο
  • κιγκλίδωμα (kigklídoma)the handrail on the side of a staircase
  • κάγκελο (kágkelo)one of the vertical supports of a handrail
Hebrew מעקה
  • מעקהthe handrail on the side of a staircase
Hungarian lépcsőkorlát, korlátbáb
  • lépcsőkorlátthe handrail on the side of a staircase
  • korlátbábone of the vertical supports of a handrail
  • mellvédbábone of the vertical supports of a handrail
  • baluszterone of the vertical supports of a handrail
Icelandic handrið, stigahandrið
  • handriðthe handrail on the side of a staircase
  • stigahandriðthe handrail on the side of a staircase
  • rimillone of the vertical supports of a handrail
  • pílári í handriðione of the vertical supports of a handrail
  • brjóstriðssúlaone of the vertical supports of a handrail
  • spelione of the vertical supports of a handrail
  • spællone of the vertical supports of a handrail
Irish banastar, banastar
  • banastarthe handrail on the side of a staircase
  • banastarone of the vertical supports of a handrail
  • rungaone of the vertical supports of a handrail
Italian ringhiera
  • ringhierathe handrail on the side of a staircase
Japanese 手摺, 手すり
  • 手摺 (tesuri)the handrail on the side of a staircase
  • 手すり (tesuri)the handrail on the side of a staircase
  • 欄干 (rankan)the handrail on the side of a staircase
Korean 난간, 란간
  • 난간 (nan'gan)the handrail on the side of a staircase
  • 란간 (ran'gan)the handrail on the side of a staircase
Norwegian gelender
  • gelenderthe handrail on the side of a staircase
Persian طارمی
  • طارمی (târami)the handrail on the side of a staircase
Polish poręcz, balas
  • poręczthe handrail on the side of a staircase
  • balasone of the vertical supports of a handrail
  • tralkaone of the vertical supports of a handrail
Portuguese corrimão, balaústre
  • corrimãothe handrail on the side of a staircase
  • balaústreone of the vertical supports of a handrail
Russian пери́ла, по́ручень
  • пери́ла (períla)the handrail on the side of a staircase
  • по́ручень (póručenʹ)the handrail on the side of a staircase
  • баля́сина (baljásina)one of the vertical supports of a handrail
Spanish barandal, pasamano
  • barandalthe handrail on the side of a staircase
  • pasamanothe handrail on the side of a staircase
  • barandillathe handrail on the side of a staircase
Swedish trappräcke
  • trappräckethe handrail on the side of a staircase
Turkish tırabzan, küpeşte
  • tırabzanthe handrail on the side of a staircase
  • küpeştethe handrail on the side of a staircase

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

Bernista
Cite this entry
APA

banister. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/banister

MLA

“banister.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/banister. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “banister,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/banister.

Source: banister on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.