newel

newel

See also: Newel

English

WOTD – 1 January 2009

Ornamented newel (2) at the foot of a staircase.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈnjuː.əl/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈnu.əl/, /ˈnju.əl/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -uːəl

Etymology 1

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

Noun

newel (plural newels)

1. (architecture) A central pillar around which a staircase spirals.

   Synonym: spindle

2. (architecture) A sturdy pillar at the top or bottom of a flight of stairs, supporting the handrail.

   Synonym: newel post

   • 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.

Translations

central pillar of staircase

Bulgarian: централна колона на вита стълба (centralna kolona na vita stǎlba) Catalan: monjo (ca) m Dutch: spindel (nl) m Finnish: keskipilari French: noyau (fr) m German: Spindel (de) f Ido: chef-balustro Polish: słupek balustrady schodowej Russian: коло́нна (ru) (kolónna) винтовой лестницы Spanish: alma (es) f

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.

Further reading

• newel on Wikipedia.Wikipedia