stair

Everyday

1. A stair is one step in a set of steps that go up or down inside a building. tree →
2. Stairs (or a staircase) are the whole set of steps from one floor to another. tree →

In the lessons

steps counted; stairs climbed between floors, often with a number of steps per floor; in safety: hold the handrail, do not run or play on the stairs, keep them clear of toys; in everyday life: upstairs and downstairs; phrases: «up the stairs», «down the stairs», «upstairs», «downstairs», «flight of stairs»

Examples

• There are 15 stairs to the first floor. tree →
• She climbs 20 stairs each morning. tree →
• The house has 3 floors with 14 stairs between each. tree →
• He went up 8 stairs and then down 3. tree →
• Hold the handrail when you go down the stairs. tree →
• Don't leave toys on the stairs. tree →
• My bedroom is upstairs. tree →
• The cat sleeps at the bottom of the stairs. tree →
• They were now on the stairs. tree →

Note

Counted things; going up adds, going down takes away. Trap: between floor 1 and floor 4 there are 3 sets of stairs, not 4. Homophone: «stare» (look hard) sounds the same. Usually used in the plural: «the stairs».

In Jewish tradition

In the Bible stairs are the steps of the Temple, palace or city wall, such as the stairs of the city of David. In the primary lessons: steps counted; stairs climbed between floors, often with a number of steps per floor; in safety: hold the handrail, do not run or play on the stairs, keep them clear of toys; in everyday life: upstairs and downstairs; phrases: «up the stairs», «down the stairs», «upstairs», «downstairs», «flight of stairs»

Examples

• Then they hastened, and took every man his garment, and put it under him on the top of the stairs, and blew the horn, saying: 'Jehu is king.' (Prophets 2KI.9.13, JPS 1917) tree →
• The door for the lowest row of chambers was in the right side of the house and they went up by winding stairs into the middle row, and out of the middle into the third. (Prophets 1KI.6.8, JPS 1917) tree →
• and by the fountain gate, and straight before them, they went up by the stairs of the city of David, at the going up of the wall, above the house of David, even unto the water gate eastward. (Writings NEH.12.37, JPS 1917) tree →

Note

Counted things; going up adds, going down takes away. Trap: between floor 1 and floor 4 there are 3 sets of stairs, not 4. Homophone: «stare» (look hard) sounds the same. Usually used in the plural: «the stairs».