stair
stair — noun
1. a connected series of steps built inside a building that allows people to go fro
a connected series of steps built inside a building that allows people to go from one floor to another
Quinn ran up the stairs to answer the phone before it stopped ringing.
verb + up/down the stairs
The wooden stairs at the back of the house creak loudly in cold weather.
material + stairs for describing construction
Rachid carried the heavy boxes down the stairs one at a time.
Minho slipped on the stairs last winter and broke his wrist.
The children sat on the stairs waiting for their mother to finish packing.
- staircase
more formal term for the whole structure, often includes the handrail and banister
- stairway
neutral term, can be indoors or outdoors
- flight of stairs
emphasises a single continuous set between two landings
文法句型
stair is usually stairs
the stairs
用法筆記
When used to mean the whole staircase, 'stair' almost always takes the plural form 'stairs' and is treated as a plural countable noun. The singular 'stair' for the entire structure is rare in everyday speech.
常見錯誤
2. one individual step within a staircase that you put your foot on when going up o
one individual step within a staircase that you put your foot on when going up or down
Inês missed the bottom stair and stumbled forward into the hallway.
Emre counted every stair as he climbed to the fifteenth floor on a dare.
count + every stair
The third stair from the top has a small crack running across it.
Tyler sat on the top stair to tie his shoelaces before school started.
A loose board on the fourth stair makes a loud noise every time someone steps on it.
文法句型
the + ordinal + stair
the top/bottom stair
用法筆記
Unlike sense 1, this sense is fully countable singular: you can say 'one stair', 'the top stair', 'every stair'. 'Step' is a broader word that includes outdoor and non-building steps; 'stair' is specific to steps inside a staircase.
常見錯誤
3. a complete staircase seen as a single architectural structure, most often descri
a complete staircase seen as a single architectural structure, most often described in its design or location
The main stair curves gently upward through the centre of the old hotel.
Felipe admired the carved stone stair in the entrance of the library.
carved stone / wooden / marble + stair for describing material and design
Noa's apartment has a narrow stair that winds up to a small rooftop garden.
A grand stair welcomes visitors at the entrance of the city museum.
The fire escape stair at the side of the building is made of metal.
文法句型
a + adjective + stair
the + adjective + stair
用法筆記
This sense uses the singular 'stair' to describe the whole staircase — it is much less common than 'stairs' (sense 1) or 'staircase'. It appears mainly in architectural descriptions or literary contexts to emphasise the form or material of the structure. Distinguish from sense 1, which uses the plural 'stairs' for the same physical object in everyday speech.
常見錯誤
stair — adjective
1. designed or intended to be placed on, attached to, or used near a set of steps i
designed or intended to be placed on, attached to, or used near a set of steps inside a building
Hoa chose a red stair carpet that matches the wallpaper in the hallway.
stair carpet — fixed collocation
The loose stair rod needs to be screwed back into place before someone trips.
Sahil held onto the stair rail as he walked down the icy front steps.
Defne installed a stair lift for her elderly father after his hip surgery.
The stair lights turn on automatically when someone walks past at night.
文法句型
stair + noun
用法筆記
This adjective is almost exclusively used in fixed compound nouns: 'stair carpet', 'stair rod', 'stair rail', 'stair lift', 'stair gate'. It cannot be used after a linking verb ('This carpet is stair' is wrong). A more common alternative is the noun adjunct 'staircase' — e.g. 'staircase carpet' or 'staircase lighting'.