Baluster
noun ·Uncommon ·Advanced level
Definitions
- 1 A short column used in a group to support a rail, as commonly found on the side of a stairway or around a balcony; a banister.
"The two Posternes were answerable to those of others set downe before: and were cut out of the two round Towers which riz vp in proportionable measures, from the ground on the foreside with battlements and Ballisters round enclosing the tops, containing in all their heights — foote:"
- 2 one of a number of closely spaced supports for a railing wordnet
Example
More examples"The two Posternes were answerable to those of others set downe before: and were cut out of the two round Towers which riz vp in proportionable measures, from the ground on the foreside with battlements and Ballisters round enclosing the tops, containing in all their heights — foote:"
Etymology
Borrowed from Middle French balustre, from Italian balaustro (“pillar”), from balausta, balaustio (“wild pomegranate flower”), from Latin balaustium, from Ancient Greek βαλαύστιον (balaústion), from Semitic (compare Classical Syriac ܒܠܳܨܳܐ (blāṣā, “pomegranate shoot”)). Doublet of banister.
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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.