Also formerly rarely stairs-. The level space at the top of a staircase or flight of stairs.
1534–5. MS. Rawl. D. 777, lf. 72. The Stayer hede goyng to the Quen’s Juell hous.
1569. Inv. Lanc. & Chesh. Wills (Chetham Soc.), 36. In the chamber at the steare head.
1607. Wotton, in Life & Lett. (1907), I. 379. [The Doge of Venice] brought him afterwards down to the last stairhead of the place.
1634. Brereton, Trav. (Chetham Soc.), 32. Here is a dainty stair-case, there being two pair of stairs which come out of the hall, and land both at one stair-head, and lead into the best rooms.
1702. Savery, Miner’s Friend, 43. This Pipe … must be long enough to reach from the Landing-place or Stair-head.
1820. Keats, Cap & Bells, lxx. He … scarce upright could reach The stair-head.
1849. Cupples, Green Hand, xv. (1856), 152. She stood with one little foot on the stair-head behind me.
1894. Hall Caine, Manxman, V. iv. 294. He … crept out on to the stairhead, and listened.
1551–60. in H. Hall, Soc. in Eliz. Age (1886), 150. An olde cubbord standing at the Stayers headd.
1588. Parke, trans. Mendoza’s Hist. China, 126. The first hall of the pallace which is at the staires heade.
1655. trans. Sorel’s Com. Hist. Francion, XII. 22. They took their ready way to the stairs head.
1748. Richardson, Clarissa, VI. 258. She shot to the stairs-head to receive him.
attrib. 1851. Mayhew, Lond. Labour (1861), II. 378/2. I pay him 2s. 9d. a week for a little stair-head place with a bed in it.
1910. Q. Rev., April, 385. She was not a mere stairhead hostess.
