n.
Pronunciation: ' ba-l ə -st ə r
Function: noun
Etymology: French balustre, from Italian balaustro, from balaustra wild pomegranate flower, from Latin balaustium, from Greek balaustion; from its shape
Date: 1602
1 : an object or vertical member (as the leg of a table, a round in a chair back, or the stem of a glass) having a vaselike or turned outline
2 : an upright often vase-shaped support for a rail