hand·rail

[hand-reyl]
noun
a rail serving as a support or guard at the side of a stairway, platform, etc.

Origin:
1785–95; hand + rail1

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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source Link To handrail
Collins
World English Dictionary
handrail (ˈhændˌreɪl) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
n
a rail alongside a stairway, etc, at a convenient height to be grasped to provide support

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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00:10
Handrail is always a great word to know.
So is ninnyhammer. Does it mean:
a fool or simpleton; ninny.
a screen or mat covered with a dark material for shielding a camera lens from excess light or glare.
Example sentences
Under captain's orders, they headed to the handrail at the lee side of the sail
  and lashed themselves to it.
One end of the handrail is usually anchored to a wall or a railing at the top
  of the stairs.
Too much charting becomes an unnecessary handrail, too many floodlights along
  the dark path.
Four types of edge protection and handrail design are shown.
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