In a high building, a stairway protected by several inches of concrete and entered through a kind of "air lock" that prevents smoke from entering in the event of a fire.

(archaic) second-person singular simple present form of stain

plural of stail

An impossible loop of endlessly ascending and descending stairs, or an optical illusion appearing to be one.

(obsolete) simple past tense and past participle of stain

Obsolete spelling of stained

Any of various insects of the family Pyrrhocoridae whose feeding activities leave an indelible brownish-yellow stain on cotton crops.

plural of cotton stainer

plural of stair hall

The stairs, landings, hallways, or other portions of the public hall through which it is necessary to pass when going from the entrance floor to the other floors of a building.