handrail

noun

hand·​rail ˈhan(d)-ˌrāl How to pronounce handrail (audio)
: a narrow rail for grasping with the hand as a support

Examples of handrail in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
During one exceptional spacewalk repair on STS-125, Michael Massimino and Michael Good had to rip a stuck handrail off Hubble by hand in order to repair a broken spectrograph, which itself was unprecedented. Tariq Malik, Space.com, 25 Apr. 2025 The developers upgraded the plumbing, electrical, mechanical systems and restrooms and preserved original elements like the wooden floorboards and the stairways’ brass-and-copper handrails. Miguel Otárola, Denver Post, 22 Apr. 2025 The Chesterton High School Trades program will be deployed to help build new stairs and handrails, along with inside benches. Jim Woods, Chicago Tribune, 2 Apr. 2025 Fortunately, the listing survives online and shows a great room on the upper level with terraces that connect to the main level via a gently curving staircase with a dark wood handrail that seems more 1910 than 2010. Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 6 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for handrail

Word History

First Known Use

1675, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of handrail was in 1675

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Handrail.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/handrail. Accessed 29 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

handrail

noun
hand·​rail ˈhan-ˌdrāl How to pronounce handrail (audio)
: a narrow rail for grasping as a support (as on a staircase)

More from Merriam-Webster on handrail

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!