Definition

1. Noun:
   • A continuous series of steps between one floor or landing and the next: A "flight of stairs" refers to a single, unbroken set of steps that connects two levels in a building, such as from one floor to another or from a floor to a landing.

Usage

• The term is used to describe a specific segment of a staircase. A complete staircase may consist of one or more flights.
• It is a countable noun. You can have "a flight of stairs," "two flights of stairs," etc.
• It is commonly used in architectural, construction, and everyday contexts when describing buildings.

Examples

• Noun:
  • Her apartment is three flights of stairs up. (Her apartment is located three continuous sets of steps above the ground floor.)
  • The old library had a magnificent marble flight of stairs. (The old library featured a grand, unbroken set of marble steps.)
  • I'm out of breath after climbing that long flight of stairs. (I am breathless after ascending that lengthy series of steps.)

Advanced Usage

• "A flight of steps": This is a common and interchangeable variant. The meaning is identical.
  • He ran up the flight of steps to the temple entrance.
• The term can be used metaphorically to imply a significant or arduous ascent, though this is less common.
  • Recovering from the illness was like climbing a steep flight of stairs. (The recovery process was challenging and progressive.)

Variants and Related Words

• Flight of steps (n): A direct synonym for "flight of stairs."
• Staircase (n): The entire structure, which may include one or more flights, landings, and railings.
• Stairway (n): Another term for a staircase or a passage containing stairs.
• Stair (n): A single step within a flight.

Synonyms

• Staircase segment: A more technical description.
• Set of stairs: A simpler, more informal phrase with the same meaning.

Related Phrases

• Top of the flight: The highest point of that specific set of stairs.
  • Wait for me at the top of the flight.
• Bottom of the flight: The lowest point of that specific set of stairs.
  • The package was left at the bottom of the flight.

Notes

• The word "flight" in this context comes from an old sense meaning "a soaring or passing through the air," which was later applied to things that rise or ascend, like a set of stairs or a flock of birds. It emphasizes the act of ascending or descending in one continuous movement.

Noun

1. a stairway (set of steps) between one floor or landing and the next