newel

English

WOTD – 1 January 2009

Pronunciation

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

Etymology 1

Ornamented newel at the foot of a staircase.

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

Noun

newel (plural newels)

(architecture) A central pillar around which a staircase spirals.
(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
French: noyau (fr) m
German: Spindel (de) f

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)

(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.

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