door

[dawr, dohr]

noun

1. a movable, usually solid, barrier for opening and closing an entranceway, cupboard, cabinet, or the like, commonly turning on hinges or sliding in grooves.

2. a doorway.

   to go through the door.

3. the building, house, etc., to which a door belongs.

   My friend lives two doors down the street.

4. any means of approach, admittance, or access.

   the doors to learning.

5. any gateway marking an entrance or exit from one place or state to another.

   at heaven's door.

door

/ dɔː /

noun

1. 1. a hinged or sliding panel for closing the entrance to a room, cupboard, etc

   2. ( in combination )

      doorbell

      doorknob

2. a doorway or entrance to a room or building

3. a means of access or escape

   a door to success

4. informal,  sport at an early stage

5. to lay (the blame or responsibility) on someone

6. in or into the open air

7. to order someone to leave

Other Word Forms

• doorless adjective
• half-door adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of door¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English dore, Old English duru “door,” dor “gate”; akin to German Tür, Old Norse dyrr, Greek thýra, Latin foris, Old Irish dorus, Old Chursh Slavonic dvĭrĭ

Word History and Origins

Origin of door¹

Old English duru; related to Old Frisian dure, Old Norse dyrr, Old High German turi, Latin forēs, Greek thura

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. lay at someone's door, to hold someone accountable for; blame; impute.

2. leave the door open, to allow the possibility of accommodation or change; be open to reconsideration.

   The boss rejected our idea but left the door open for discussing it again next year.

3. lie at someone's door, to be the responsibility of; be imputable to.

   One's mistakes often lie at one's own door.

4. show someone the door, to request or order someone to leave; dismiss.

   She resented his remark and showed him the door.

see at death's door; at one's door; back door; beat a path to someone's door; behind closed doors; close the door on; darken one's door; foot in the door; keep the wolf from the door; lay at someone's door; leave the door open; lock the barn door; next door to; open doors; open the door to; see someone out (to the door); show someone out (to the door); show someone the door.

Example Sentences

The best he’ll do is trust they know he’s computed their running speed against the rate of the closing doors to ensure the humans make it in the nick of time.

From Salon

The resident followed Bucur and found a door to a crawl space open, and light coming from inside.

From Los Angeles Times

Lucima, who served a jail term in 2021 for helping to dismember a musician, was killed by a single bullet to the chest as he opened his front door in Kensington last year.

From BBC

“As God closes one door, he opened another for me,” Helton said.

From Los Angeles Times

Next door is the Lodge Room, which is my favorite venue for variety in all of L.A.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• exit 
• gate