newel
/ˈnjuːəl
/noun
1The central supporting pillar of a spiral or winding staircase.The stairways were built upon spiral vaults, winding round a central newel....
- On older staircases the newel may be held in place with dowels.
1.1 (also newel post) A post at the head or foot of a flight of stairs, supporting a handrail.The spent cartridge cases were found lying fairly close together, and the nearest of them appears from the scale plans placed before the jury to have been lying a little less than 4 metres from the newel post at the foot of the stairs....
- Since most fighters were right-handed, the stairways were built in such a way that if you were trying to get up the stairs, the newel post is on your right-hand side.
- On top of the newel post, use a wooden fitting called a starting easement, which caps off the post and provides a transition to the handrail.
Origin
Late Middle English: from Old French nouel 'knob', from medieval Latin nodellus, diminutive of Latin nodus 'knot'.
Rhymes
- cinematograph
- cinematographer
- cinematographic
- cinematographically
- cinematography
- cinephile
- cinephilia
- cineplex
- striker plate
- strike-slip fault
- strike someone off the roll
- strike someone out (or strike out)
- strike sparks off each other (or one another)
- strike up (or strike something up)
- strike while the iron is hot
- strike zone
- striking
- striking circle
- strikingly
- strikingness
- striking plate
- mail order
- mail order business
- mail order catalog
- mail order catalogue