below stairsadv.n.adj.

Brit.

/bᵻˈləʊ ˌstɛːz/, U.S.

/bəˈloʊ ˌstɛ(ə)rz/,

/biˈloʊ ˌstɛ(ə)rz/

Forms: see below adv., prep., n., and adj. and stair n.

Origin: Formed within English, by compounding. Etymons: below prep., stair n.

Etymology: < below prep. + the plural of stair n. Compare downstairs adv., upstairs adv. and n., and above stairs adv. Compare earlier below adv. 4a.

Now chiefly historical or archaic.

A. adv.

Downstairs. Frequently (and now chiefly): spec. in or into the basement, in which the servants' quarters are located, as distinct from the private rooms of a household. Cf. above stairs adv.

ΘΚΠ

society > inhabiting and dwelling > inhabited place > a building > parts of building > [adverb] > floor or storey

below1562

downstairs1598

below stairs1600

above stairs1606

upstairs1781

society > inhabiting and dwelling > inhabited place > a building > parts of building > room > suite of rooms > [adverb] > in servants' quarters

below stairs1600

below1859

1600 W. Shakespeare Much Ado about Nothing v. ii. 9 Why shal I alwaies keep below staires .

1667 E. Chamberlayne Angliæ Notitia: 1st Pt. (1684) i. 153 The Cofferer..is to pay the Wages to the King's Servants above and below stairs.

1749 ‘H. Fitzcotton’ New & Accurate Transl. of 1st Bk. Homer's Iliad (Argument) Leaving the young people below-stairs, to divert themselves.

1841 C. Dickens Old Curiosity Shop ii. lxiii. 154 Kit's mother, poor woman, is waiting at the grate below stairs.

1852 H. B. Stowe Uncle Tom's Cabin I. xvi. 246 St. Clare will have high life below-stairs.

1935 N. Marsh Nursing Home Murder (1995) xii. 119 I'm more at home below-stairs.

2002 B. Hoey Her Majesty vi. 85 He was the first member of the royal family in the century actually to go below stairs.

B. n.

The basement of a house; (chiefly) spec. the servants' quarters.

ΘΚΠ

society > inhabiting and dwelling > inhabited place > a building > parts of building > [noun] > floor or storey > below ground level

basement1730

sunk storey1769

below stairs1771

sunken storey1791

1771 C. Powys Passages from Diaries Mrs. Powys (1899) 123 The hall, and below-stairs..seem too minute.

1827 Gentleman's Pocket Mag. 419 My lord duke of ‘below stairs’.

1866 A. M. Keiley In Vinculis v. 52 I..steered clear of the ‘below stairs’ in that mansion.

1919 Fortn. Rev. 1 Apr. 638 The circumstances of the below-stairs must be tempered to the elders' outlook.

1969 H. Saalman Bigallo v. 33 A 43cm-deep niche facing the below-stairs.

1992 C. E. Rosenberg Explaining Epidemics v. 102 A below stairs without an above stairs to control it.

C. adj.

Chiefly attributive. Situated in the basement or servants' quarters; (also) of, relating to, or characteristic of this part of the household or its inhabitants.

ΘΚΠ

society > inhabiting and dwelling > inhabited place > a building > parts of building > [adjective] > floor or storey

understairs1616

downstairs1702

two-pair1749

below stairs1772

three-pair1788

one-pair1795

upstairs1839

society > authority > subjection > service > servant > [adjective] > of servant class

serviable1612

below stairs1772

1772 T. Nugent tr. J. F. de Isla Hist. Friar Gerund I. ii. vi. 390 There was a terrible confusion in the convent amongst the below-stairs Friars.

1828 G. Smeeton Doings in London 44 He..found some of his property under the lock and key of every one of the ‘below-stairs’ gentry.

1891 ‘B. Arnold’ New Aristocracy x. 122 They gathered in the below-stairs parlor.

1919 G. Saintsbury Hist. French Novel II. ii. 76 A very fair specimen of the ‘below stairs’ romance.

1990 New Yorker 19 Feb. 13/2 This low-ceilinged, below-stairs jazz room.

2001 Guardian 11 Aug. 6/7 Camilla Parker Bowles..confessed that her tastes were more below stairs.

Phrases

from below stairs: from downstairs; from the servants' quarters.

ΚΠ

1688 Summary Occurr. Miraculous Preserv. Charles II 25 Mr. Whitgrave..handing up all the Dishes from below Stairs.

1782 F. Burney Cecilia I. ii. iii. 176 The loudness of a voice from below stairs.

1827 Oriental Herald July 14 He was brought from below stairs.

1894 H. A. Du Souchet My Friend from India i. 10 (stage direct.) Enter Gertie..from below stairs.

1930 Scotsman 23 Jan. 2/2 High Court life, as seen from below stairs.

1957 tr. M. Yourcenar Coup de Grace (1986) 24 After a moment Michael came up from below stairs.

2002 Times Educ. Suppl. (Nexis) 9 Aug. 10 The voice tube used to summon servants from below stairs.

This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, September 2017; most recently modified version published online December 2021).

单词	below stairs
释义	below stairsadv.n.adj. Brit. /bᵻˈləʊ ˌstɛːz/, U.S. /bəˈloʊ ˌstɛ(ə)rz/, /biˈloʊ ˌstɛ(ə)rz/ Forms: see below adv., prep., n., and adj. and stair n. Origin: Formed within English, by compounding. Etymons: below prep., stair n. Etymology: < below prep. + the plural of stair n. Compare downstairs adv., upstairs adv. and n., and above stairs adv. Compare earlier below adv. 4a. Now chiefly historical or archaic. A. adv. Downstairs. Frequently (and now chiefly): spec. in or into the basement, in which the servants' quarters are located, as distinct from the private rooms of a household. Cf. above stairs adv. ΘΚΠ society > inhabiting and dwelling > inhabited place > a building > parts of building > [adverb] > floor or storey below1562 downstairs1598 below stairs1600 above stairs1606 upstairs1781 society > inhabiting and dwelling > inhabited place > a building > parts of building > room > suite of rooms > [adverb] > in servants' quarters below stairs1600 below1859 1600 W. Shakespeare Much Ado about Nothing v. ii. 9 Why shal I alwaies keep below staires . View more context for this quotation 1667 E. Chamberlayne Angliæ Notitia: 1st Pt. (1684) i. 153 The Cofferer..is to pay the Wages to the King's Servants above and below stairs. 1749 ‘H. Fitzcotton’ New & Accurate Transl. of 1st Bk. Homer's Iliad (Argument) Leaving the young people below-stairs, to divert themselves. 1841 C. Dickens Old Curiosity Shop ii. lxiii. 154 Kit's mother, poor woman, is waiting at the grate below stairs. 1852 H. B. Stowe Uncle Tom's Cabin I. xvi. 246 St. Clare will have high life below-stairs. 1935 N. Marsh Nursing Home Murder (1995) xii. 119 I'm more at home below-stairs. 2002 B. Hoey Her Majesty vi. 85 He was the first member of the royal family in the century actually to go below stairs. B. n. The basement of a house; (chiefly) spec. the servants' quarters. ΘΚΠ society > inhabiting and dwelling > inhabited place > a building > parts of building > [noun] > floor or storey > below ground level basement1730 sunk storey1769 below stairs1771 sunken storey1791 1771 C. Powys Passages from Diaries Mrs. Powys (1899) 123 The hall, and below-stairs..seem too minute. 1827 Gentleman's Pocket Mag. 419 My lord duke of ‘below stairs’. 1866 A. M. Keiley In Vinculis v. 52 I..steered clear of the ‘below stairs’ in that mansion. 1919 Fortn. Rev. 1 Apr. 638 The circumstances of the below-stairs must be tempered to the elders' outlook. 1969 H. Saalman Bigallo v. 33 A 43cm-deep niche facing the below-stairs. 1992 C. E. Rosenberg Explaining Epidemics v. 102 A below stairs without an above stairs to control it. C. adj. Chiefly attributive. Situated in the basement or servants' quarters; (also) of, relating to, or characteristic of this part of the household or its inhabitants. ΘΚΠ society > inhabiting and dwelling > inhabited place > a building > parts of building > [adjective] > floor or storey understairs1616 downstairs1702 two-pair1749 below stairs1772 three-pair1788 one-pair1795 upstairs1839 society > authority > subjection > service > servant > [adjective] > of servant class serviable1612 below stairs1772 1772 T. Nugent tr. J. F. de Isla Hist. Friar Gerund I. ii. vi. 390 There was a terrible confusion in the convent amongst the below-stairs Friars. 1828 G. Smeeton Doings in London 44 He..found some of his property under the lock and key of every one of the ‘below-stairs’ gentry. 1891 ‘B. Arnold’ New Aristocracy x. 122 They gathered in the below-stairs parlor. 1919 G. Saintsbury Hist. French Novel II. ii. 76 A very fair specimen of the ‘below stairs’ romance. 1990 New Yorker 19 Feb. 13/2 This low-ceilinged, below-stairs jazz room. 2001 Guardian 11 Aug. 6/7 Camilla Parker Bowles..confessed that her tastes were more below stairs. Phrases from below stairs: from downstairs; from the servants' quarters. ΚΠ 1688 Summary Occurr. Miraculous Preserv. Charles II 25 Mr. Whitgrave..handing up all the Dishes from below Stairs. 1782 F. Burney Cecilia I. ii. iii. 176 The loudness of a voice from below stairs. 1827 Oriental Herald July 14 He was brought from below stairs. 1894 H. A. Du Souchet My Friend from India i. 10 (stage direct.) Enter Gertie..from below stairs. 1930 Scotsman 23 Jan. 2/2 High Court life, as seen from below stairs. 1957 tr. M. Yourcenar Coup de Grace (1986) 24 After a moment Michael came up from below stairs. 2002 Times Educ. Suppl. (Nexis) 9 Aug. 10 The voice tube used to summon servants from below stairs. This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, September 2017; most recently modified version published online December 2021). < adv.n.adj.1600
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