stairway

stairway
/stair"way'/, n.
a passageway from one level, as of a building, to another by a series of stairs; staircase.
[1790-1800; STAIR + WAY1]

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Series or flight of steps that provides a means of moving from one level to another.

The earliest stairways seem to have been built with walls on both sides, as in Egyptian pylons dating from the 2nd millennium BC. The Romans were noted for their monumental stairs. The modern use of steel and reinforced concrete has made possible the curves and sweeps of contemporary design. Staircases have traditionally been built of wood, marble or stone, and iron or steel. A step's horizontal surface is called its tread, the vertical front its riser. Traditional wooden staircases are constructed with stringers, beams inclined to the angle of the staircase. Stringers are supported by newel posts, which also support the handrail, forming a balustrade.

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Universalium. 2010.

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Look at other dictionaries:

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  • stairway — UK [ˈsteə(r)ˌweɪ] / US [ˈsterˌweɪ] noun [countable] Word forms stairway : singular stairway plural stairways a set of stairs inside or outside a building …   English dictionary

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  • stairway — [[t]ste͟ə(r)weɪ[/t]] stairways N COUNT A stairway is a staircase or a flight of steps, inside or outside a building …   English dictionary

  • stairway — /ˈstɛəweɪ/ (say stairway) noun a way up and down by a series of stairs; a staircase …  

  • Stairway to Heaven (desambiguación) — Stairway to Heaven o Escalera al Cielo puede referirse a: Stairway to Heaven, canción del grupo Led Zeppelin. Stairway to Heaven , canción de the O Jays Stairway to Heaven, canción de Neil Sedaka. Stairway to Heaven, canción de Be Your Own Pet… …   Wikipedia Español

  • Stairway to Heaven — (engl. für ‚Treppe zum Himmel‘) ist ein Lied der britischen Rockband Led Zeppelin. Inhaltsverzeichnis 1 Geschichte 2 Musikalische Details 3 Text 4 Besond …   Deutsch Wikipedia

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