Newells

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Upright posts at the top or bottom of a staircase, or around its central column, that support the handrail
2. Heavy vertical supports on a stairway that anchor the rail and, in spiral stairs, form the central column
3. Sturdy upright pillars that hold up the handrail where a staircase begins, ends, or turns around a central axis

Etymology: "Newells" is simply the plural of "newell", a term used in architecture for the central post around which a spiral staircase winds, or the post at the foot or top of a staircase that supports the handrail. The singular "newell" is the form to trace, and the plural is what you get when a building has several such posts.

Synonyms: newel post