The railing that runs along the side of stairs to prevent people from falling, supported by vertical posts called balusters.
Variant spelling of 'baluster' (a supporting post), which comes from Italian 'balaustra,' possibly from Greek 'balaustion' (pomegranate flower—because the shape resembles the flower). The spelling shift to 'bannister' occurred in the 17th-18th centuries.
Bannisters were named after pomegranate flowers because decorative balusters actually resemble the shape of those flowers—a beautiful example of how functional architecture was inspired by nature.
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