banister
/ˈbænɪstɚ/ noun, verb, proper noun
Forms banisters banistering banistered bannister
- noun The rail on the side of a staircase that a person's hand holds onto. “wooden banister”
- noun One of the vertical supports of such a handrail.
- verb (transitive) To construct a banister.
- verb (transitive) To act as a banister.
- proper noun A surname originating as an occupation for a maker of baskets.
- proper noun An unincorporated community and district in Pittsylvania County, Virginia, United States.
Synonyms
Etymology
Alteration of earlier barrester, ballester, corruptions of baluster.
English and Norman surname, variant of Bannister.
Webster’s 1913
- noun A stringed musical instrument having a head and neck like the guitar, and its body like a tambourine. It has five strings, and is played with the fingers and hands.
Etymology [Formerly also banjore and banjer; corrupted from bandore, through negro slave pronunciation.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “banister”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details