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stairwell

American  
[stair-wel] / ˈstɛərˌwɛl /
Or stair well

noun

  1. the vertical shaft or opening containing a stairway.

stairwell British  
/ ˈstɛəˌwɛl /

noun

  1. a vertical shaft or opening that contains a staircase

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of stairwell

First recorded in 1915–20; stair + well 2

Compare meaning

How does stairwell compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The stairwell next door "bought new radiators, repaired the utilities together," she said, enviously.

From Barron's

They headed for the stairwell, climbing nine floors in the dark.

From BBC

Witnesses later told police they saw several men in the stairwell of the car park carrying big bags during the night into 28 December.

From BBC

“Mavis —” He grabs my hand as I head for the stairwell.

From Literature

Speaking of his foster brothers, Freddy and Teddy and their friends were taking turns testing their echoes, which bounced in the long stairwells.

From Literature

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.