Giron

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A flat horizontal step or tread forming part of a staircase, providing the surface to step on
2. The horizontal board or panel in a staircase that supports the foot while ascending or descending
3. A flat component in stair construction that forms the surface on which a person places their foot when climbing

Etymology: "Giron" is an alternative form of "gyron," and the two spellings point to a single word with a long and tangled past. The name for a stair's flat tread has been spelled in more than one way over the centuries, and the variant "gyron" is the form most often seen in older writing. Its meaning, a horizontal step or tread that gives a foot something to rest on as it climbs or descends, has stayed fairly steady, so the interest lies mainly in the spelling rather than in any dramatic shift of sense.