newel

WOTD – 1 January 2009    

English

Wikipedia

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA: /ˈnjuː.əl/, X-SAMPA: /"nju:.@l/
• (US) IPA: /ˈnu.əl/, /ˈnju.əl/

• Audio (US)

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Etymology 1

Ornamented newel at the foot of a staircase.

From Anglo-Norman nuel, Middle French nuel, of uncertain origin.

Noun

newel (plural newels)

1. (architecture) A central pillar around which a staircase spirals.
2. (architecture) A sturdy pillar at the top or bottom of a flight of stairs, supporting the handrail.
   • 1943, Raymond Chandler, The High Window, Penguin 2005, p. 238:

     We went along the hall to the end and up a flight of stairs with a carved handrail and newel post.

Synonyms

• (central pillar of a staircase spiral): spindle

Translations

central pillar of staircase

• Dutch: spindel (nl) m
• Finnish: keskipilari (fi)

• Polish: słupek balustrady schodowej (pl)
• Russian: колонна (ru) (kolonna) винтовой лестницы

Etymology 2

From new +‎ -el, modelled after novel (“new, original”).

Noun

newel (plural newels)

1. (obsolete) A novelty; a new thing.
   • 1882: Edmund Spenser (Alexander Balloch Grosart, ed) The Complete Works in Verse and Prose of Edmund Spenser

     He was so enamoured with the newel.