Meanings
plural handrails
- A rail which can be held, such as on the side of a staircase, ramp, or other walkway, and serving as a support or guard.
Walkways and handrails were also upgraded during the work, to improve safety for maintenance staff.
2020 July 15, “Network News: £2 million repairs complete at Eskmeals viaduct”, in Rail, page 221 more example
Retractable steps and handrails are provided on each side of the cars. The steps, which are under the control of the guard, are operated by hand levers in the entrance vestibule.
1952 September, “Modernised Pull-and-Push Trains”, in Railway Magazine, page 617 - A moving continuous belt-like rail on either side of an escalator which users can hold on to for support.
We trialled a new ultraviolet system that runs under the handrail of an escalator, killing the virus. We are rolling that out at more than 100 stations.
2020 December 2, Andy Byford talks to Paul Clifton, “I enjoy really big challenges...”, in RAIL, page 54
Synonyms & antonyms
nouna railing at the side of a staircase or balcony to prevent people from falling
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
Translations
Arabic دَرَابْزُون
- دَرَابْزُون (darābzūn)rail which can be held
Bulgarian пери́ло
- пери́ло (perílo)rail which can be held
Catalan arrambador, barana
- arrambadorrail which can be held
- baranarail which can be held
- passamàrail which can be held
Chinese Mandarin 扶手
- 扶手 (fúshǒu)rail which can be held
Czech zábradlí
- zábradlírail which can be held
Danish gelænder
- gelænderrail which can be held
Esperanto manrelo
- manrelorail which can be held
Estonian käsipuu
- käsipuurail which can be held
Finnish kaide, käsijohde
- kaiderail which can be held
- käsijohderail which can be held
French rambarde, main courante
- rambarderail which can be held
- main couranterail which can be held
German Geländer, Handlauf
- Geländerrail which can be held
- Handlaufrail which can be held
Greek κάγκελο, κουπαστή
- κάγκελο (kágkelo)rail which can be held
- κουπαστή (koupastí)rail which can be held
Hebrew מעקה
- מעקהrail which can be held
Hindi डंडा, रेलिंग
- डंडा (ḍaṇḍā)rail which can be held
- रेलिंग (reliṅg)rail which can be held
Hungarian korlát, kapaszkodó
- korlátrail which can be held
- kapaszkodórail which can be held
- kapaszkodószalagmoving continuous belt-like rail on either side of an escalator which users can hold on to for support
- gumikorlátmoving continuous belt-like rail on either side of an escalator which users can hold on to for support
Icelandic handrið
- handriðrail which can be held
Italian corrimano, ringhiera
- corrimanorail which can be held
- ringhierarail which can be held
- balaustrarail which can be held
- parapettorail which can be held
Japanese 手摺, 手すり
- 手摺 (tesuri)rail which can be held
- 手すり (tesuri)rail which can be held
- 欄干 (rankan)rail which can be held
Korean 난간, 란간
- 난간 (nan'gan)rail which can be held
- 란간 (ran'gan)rail which can be held
Lithuanian turėklas
- turėklasrail which can be held
Māori puringa
- puringarail which can be held
Norwegian Bokmål rekkverk, gelender
- rekkverkrail which can be held
- gelenderrail which can be held
Polish poręcz, poręcz
- poręczrail which can be held
- poręczmoving continuous belt-like rail on either side of an escalator which users can hold on to for support
Portuguese corrimão
- corrimãorail which can be held
Romanian mână curentă
- mână curentărail which can be held
Russian пери́ла, по́ручень
- пери́ла (períla)rail which can be held
- по́ручень (póručenʹ)rail which can be held
Slovak zábradlie
- zábradlierail which can be held
Spanish pasamano, barandilla
- pasamanorail which can be held
- barandillarail which can be held
- barandarail which can be held
- rastelrail which can be held
- barandadorail which can be held
- barandalrail which can be held
- barandajerail which can be held
Swedish ledstång, räcke
- ledstångrail which can be held
- räckerail which can be held
Tagalog gabay
- gabayrail which can be held
Thai ราว
- ราว (raao)rail which can be held
Turkish tırabzan
- tırabzanrail which can be held
Ukrainian пери́ла, пору́ччя
- пери́ла (perýla)rail which can be held
- пору́ччя (porúččja)rail which can be held
- по́ручень (póručenʹ)rail which can be held
- би́льце (býlʹce)rail which can be held
Vietnamese tay vịn, thanh vịn
- tay vịnrail which can be held
- thanh vịnrail which can be held
Welsh canllaw
- canllawrail which can be held
Cite this entry
handrail. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/handrail
“handrail.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/handrail. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “handrail,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/handrail.
Source: handrail on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.