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Crossword clues for banister

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
banister
noun
COLLOCATIONS FROM CORPUS
■ NOUN
rail
▪ He descended the stairs slowly in the dark, his hand holding tightly on to the banister rail.
▪ Reaching out for the banister rail, he switched on the torch and slowly descended the stairs.
▪ Resting her head wearily against the hard banister rail, she fought down the momentary surge of panic.
▪ So they went downstairs, Berg wincing at each step and clinging to the banister rail.
▪ Her fingers tightened on the banister rail, as she paused in her descent.
EXAMPLES FROM CORPUS
▪ As I did so I grabbed the banister to save myself.
▪ Frankie stared through the banisters, willing the kitchen door to open.
▪ He hugged the banister, counting its bar-like wooden rods until he reached the turn where it met the wall.
▪ He shot out a hand and caught the banister, steadying himself.
▪ I went out naked on the landing and looked over the banisters.
▪ Shake the stair banisters and rail - are they loose?
▪ She grabbed the banister and dragged herself upwards.
▪ Through his screams she heard voices, and went to the banisters.
The Collaborative International Dictionary
banister

Baluster \Bal"us*ter\, n. [F. balustre, It. balaustro, fr. L. balaustium the flower of the wild pomegranate, fr. Gr. balay`stion; -- so named from the similarity of form.] (Arch.) A small column or pilaster, used as a support to the rail of an open parapet, to guard the side of a staircase, or the front of a gallery. See Balustrade. [Corrupted into banister.]

Douglas Harper's Etymology Dictionary
banister

1660s, unexplained corruption of baluster. As late as 1830 condemned as "vulgar," it is now accepted. Surname Bannister is from Old French banastre "basket," hence, "basket-maker."

Wiktionary
banister

n. 1 The handrail on the side of a staircase. 2 One of the vertical supports of a handrail; a baluster. vb. 1 To construct a banister 2 To act as a banister

WordNet
banister

n. a railing at the side of a staircase or balcony to prevent people from falling [syn: bannister, balustrade, balusters, handrail]

Wikipedia
Banister (surname)

Banister is a surname, and may refer to;

Banister comes from the Old French or Old Norman banastre which was a type of wicker basket also related to the Modern French banne and to Occitan banasta.

  • Frederick Banister, English civil engineer
  • Guy Banister, a career employee of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and a private investigator
  • Henry Banister, English politician who sat in the House of Commons in 1614 and in 1625
  • Jeff Banister, American professional baseball player and current manager
  • Joe Banister, former special agent of the Criminal Investigation Division of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and IRS whistleblower
  • John Riley Banister, American law officer, cowboy and Texas Ranger
  • Richard Banister, English oculist of Stamford, Lincolnshire
  • Roger Bannister, English former athlete, physician and academic
  • Scott Banister, American entrepreneur and angel investor

Usage examples of "banister".

Switching the Berretta to his left hand, hegroped for the banister with his right.

Switching the Berretta to his left hand, he groped for the banister with his right.

Ryan was leaping up the first flight, booting down on the prone body of the first man and clutching at the corner pole of the banister, yanking himself up and around and grabbing the third man as he tottered forward on the rebound from the wall.

The climb was steep, though, and there was no banister, just the edges of the stairwell groove itself, wobbling up and down from ankle to shoulder height and back again as it passed through the tallowy features of the rock face.

Tristen rubbed his ungloved fingers across the stonework of the banister, exploring the sting and the depth of the coating.

Jenny Blair raced ahead of Bena to the staircase, where she saved time by sliding down as much of the banisters as she dared.

Only the toasted richness of a Biedermeier tall case clock, the matte black of the wrought iron banister, and the golden flamboyance of a Louis XV giltwood mirror intruded upon the unrelenting whiteness.

They saw her walking up and down, examining the napkin-rings, the candlesticks, the banister rails against the walls, while Binet stroked his beard with satisfaction.

In the middle, disklike projections from each wedge lay stacked, one above the next, all the way down, forming a round, vertical banister that she used to steady herself while dropping lower and lower, round and around.

Barefooted, she stole down the carpeted stairs, with one hand on the banister.

Jill was talking to the parlormaid whose head had popped up over the banisters flanking the stairs that led to the kitchen.

The mob-capped heads of two of the parlormaids emerged through the banisters on the second-floor balcony.

Clare turned to go back his eye fell upon Tom, who was standing uneasily, shifting from one foot to the other, while Adolph stood negligently leaning against the banisters, examining Tom through an opera-glass, with an air that would have done credit to any dandy living.

Mr Bullett-Finch clung to the banisters and peered through a duststorm of plaster and powdered brick while the furnishings of which his wife had been so rightly proud hurtled past him from the upstairs rooms.

Armed Enforcers in full uniform lined the banister for one full swing of the spiral.