baluster
1
8.4
- noun
- /ˈbæl.ə.stɚ/
:
balustre
- The banister was painted white, and the narrow balusters cast faint shadows.
- baluster railing
- deck balusters
- rail and balusters
Examples
-
She lay peering between the white stone balusters toward the far side of the galleries.
Fiction book (1991) -
The balusters stretch away in a regular line, throwing vertical shadows upwards against the opposite wall.
Fiction book (1990) -
Outside, he held on to the baluster and watched a group of Harvard students frolicking in the deep snow.
Fiction book (1991) -
A head sticks through the balusters of the second-story landing return.
Fiction book (1990) -
He reached for the next baluster, putting himself in an awkward angle, almost hanging over Axel.
Fiction book (2002) -
A stone rail supported by fat, vase-shaped balusters ran along the white marble pillars.
Fiction book (1998) -
The bridge itself consists of three arcs over the water, the arcs supported by four vertical lines and the balusters.
Academic text (1998) -
The different shades of paint and the balusters missing from the little balconies gave the house a patched, toothless look.
Fiction book (1990) -
Monty refastens the leash onto the dog's collar and ties the cord around a baluster, knotting it twice.
Fiction book (2002) -
The balcony was adorned with elegant balusters that added charm to the view.
Synonyms
3
8.8
A vertical post that supports a railing or fence
Surface Forms
Etymology
Baluster comes from an old word balaustion meaning 'pomegranate flower' because early short columns were shaped like a pomegranate bud. That's why a baluster is a short, rounded pillar that supports a rail, and it shares the same root as balustrade.