Meanings
newel1
plural newels
- Either of two kinds of supporting post in a staircase.
- architectureA central pillar around which some types of spiral staircase are spiralled.
Synonyms: newel post, spindle
- architectureA sturdy pillar at the top or bottom of a flight of stairs, supporting the handrail.
We went along the hall to the end and up a flight of stairs with a carved handrail and newel post.
1943, Raymond Chandler, The High Window, Penguin, published 2005, page 238Synonyms: newel post
newel2
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA central pillar around which some types of spiral staircase are spiralled.
nounA sturdy pillar at the top or bottom of a flight of stairs, supporting the handrail.
nounA novelty; a new thing.
More synonyms by meaning
nounthe post at the top or bottom of a flight of stairs; it supports the handrail
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
newel · noun
- Late Latinnucālis“nut-like”
- Early Medieval Latinnōdellus“buckle”
- Old Frenchnoel
- Middle Englishnowel
- Englishnewel
Inherited from Middle English nowel, *newel, from Old French noel, from either Early Medieval Latin nōdellus (“buckle”, diminutive of nōdus "knot") or Late Latin nucālis (“nut-like”, derivative of nux "nut"). Doublet of noil and noyau.
More words from Middle English, Old French, Early Medieval Latin
Full word history & related roots →newel · noun
From new + -el, modelled after novel (“new, original”).
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian централна колона на вита стълба
- централна колона на вита стълба (centralna kolona na vita stălba)central pillar of staircase
Catalan monjo
- monjocentral pillar of staircase
Czech sloup točitého schodiště, sloupek zábradlí
- sloup točitého schodištěcentral pillar of staircase
- sloupek zábradlípillar supporting the handrail
Dutch spindel
- spindelcentral pillar of staircase
Finnish keskipilari
- keskipilaricentral pillar of staircase
French noyau
- noyaucentral pillar of staircase
German Spindel
- Spindelcentral pillar of staircase
Irish ráille staighre, cuaille
- ráille staighrecentral pillar of staircase
- cuaillecentral pillar of staircase
- molcentral pillar of staircase
Polish słupek balustrady schodowej
- słupek balustrady schodowejcentral pillar of staircase
Russian коло́нна винтовой лестницы
- коло́нна винтовой лестницы (kolónna)central pillar of staircase
Spanish alma
- almacentral pillar of staircase
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with newel
Cite this entry
newel. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/newel
“newel.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/newel. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “newel,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/newel.
Source: newel on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.