Staircase Meaning
/ˈstɛɹˌkeɪs/Definition, CEFR level A2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounA flight of stairs; a stairway.
nounA connected set of flights of stairs; a stairwell.
Sentence Examples
The staircase leading to the rooftop is narrow, steep, and dark.
Faith is taking the first step, even when you don't see the whole staircase.
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
None
CEFR Practice Quiz
The old mansion had a grand wooden ____ leading to the second floor.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The grand ____ in the mansion was made of dark polished wood and had a beautiful curved banister.
Word Origin & History
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *steygʰ- Proto-Indo-European *-eti Proto-Indo-European *stéygʰeti Proto-Germanic *stīganą Proto-Indo-European *-yeti Proto-Indo-European *-éyeti Proto-Germanic *-janą Proto-Germanic *staigijaną Proto-Indo-European *-rós Proto-Germanic *-raz Proto-Germanic *staigraz Proto-Germanic *staigriz Proto-West Germanic *staigri Old English stǣġer Middle English steire English stair English case English staircase From stair + case.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"I was on the staircase by the bell / Blinded by the black magician's spell"
— 2011, “13 Candles”, performed by Uncle Acid & the Deadbeats:
"Turning back, then, toward the basement staircase, she began to grope her way through blinding darkness, but had taken only a few uncertain steps when, of a sudden, she stopped short and for a little stood like a stricken thing, quite motionless save that she quaked to her very marrow in the grasp of a great and enervating fear."
— 1914 November, Louis Joseph Vance, “An Outsider […]”, in Munsey’s Magazine, volume LIII, number II, New York, N.Y.: The Frank A[ndrew] Munsey Company, […], published 1915, →OCLC, chapter III (Accessory After the Fact), page 382, column 1:
"When Timothy and Julia hurried up the staircase to the bedroom floor, where a considerable commotion was taking place, Tim took Barry Leach with him. He had him gripped firmly by the arm, since he felt it was not safe to let him loose, and he had no immediate idea what to do with him."
— 1963, Margery Allingham, chapter 19, in The China Governess: A Mystery, London: Chatto & Windus, →OCLC:
"Oliver immediately gets a 'guided tour, Felix wheeling through libraries and endless colour-coded rooms, up and down staircases and along echoing halls where various "dead relly[s]" stare down from the walls."
— 2023 November 13, Rosalind Jana, “Saltburn and the bizarre life of Britain's stately homes”, in BBC:
"This leads to much smoother reconstructions in regions of moderate gradient and thus prevents staircasing."
— 2006, Nikos Paragios, Yunmei Chen, Olivier D. Faugeras, editors, Handbook of Mathematical Models in Computer Vision, Springer Science & Business Media, →ISBN, page 26:
Explore More A2 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The old mansion had a grand wooden ____ leading to the second floor.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The grand ____ in the mansion was made of dark polished wood and had a beautiful curved banister.