English · Word Candidate

staircase

/ˈstɛɹˌkeɪs/

Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.

Also seen as: staircases · staircasing · staircased

Sense 1

Meaning · English

A flight of stairs; a stairway.

Noun

Examples

I was on the staircase by the bell / Blinded by the black magician's spell

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 2

Meaning · English

A connected set of flights of stairs; a stairwell.

Noun

Examples

Turning back, then, toward the basement staircase, she began to grope her way through blinding darkness, but had taken only a few uncertain steps when, of a sudden, she stopped short and for a little stood like a stricken thing, quite motionless save that she quaked to her very marrow in the grasp o

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 3

Meaning · English

To modify (a signal, a graph, etc.) to reduce a smooth curve to a series of discrete steps.

Verb

Examples

This leads to much smoother reconstructions in regions of moderate gradient and thus prevents staircasing.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 4

Meaning · English

To increase one's share in a co-ownership.

Verb

Examples

It is a good idea to make plans for staircasing when you first buy your shared ownership home.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “staircase” mean?

A flight of stairs; a stairway.

Is “staircase” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.