Other forms: balusters
A baluster is a spindle or pillar in the railing of a stairway. Many balusters together make up a balustrade.
The rungs in a staircase that you tap your fingers against as you descend are each called a baluster. Wooden balusters are made from wood that's carved with a lathe into a distinctive curved shape. The railing around a patio or terrace might be made of balusters, small decorative columns. Baluster comes from the Italian balaustro, "pillar," from balausta, "flower of the wild pomegranate," which has a stem with baluster-like double curves.