A stair is a single step in a set of steps that people use to go up or down between different levels of a building. Together, many stairs form a staircase.
From Old English “stǣger” or “stǣr” meaning “stair, ladder step,” from Proto-Germanic *“staig-” related to “to climb.” The root is connected to ideas of rising and stepping upward.
Each stair is like one small piece of a climb, which is why we talk about ‘stairways to success’ or ‘climbing the stairs of your career.’ The word is close cousins with “stagger” and “stigma” through old roots about stepping and pricking.
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