doorstop

[ dawr-stop ]

noun

1. a device for holding a door open, as a wedge or small weight.
2. Also called slam·ming stile [slam, -ing stahyl],. (in a doorframe) a strip or projecting surface against which the door closes.
3. a device for preventing a door from striking a wall or an object on a wall, as a small rubber-covered projection.

doorstop

/ ˈdɔːˌstɒp /

noun

1. a heavy object, wedge, or other device which prevents an open door from moving
2. a projecting piece of rubber, etc, fixed to the floor to stop a door from striking a wall
3. informal.
   a very thick book

Word History and Origins

Origin of doorstop¹

An Americanism dating back to 1870–75; door + stop

Example Sentences

Deep down, I must still be a kid, because I couldn’t stop eating this doorstop of a sandwich, featuring two thick slices of toasted brioche that conceal a filling of spicy pork sausage, prosciutto cotto, grana and mozzarella.

From Washington Post

It takes less than a minute to install, and like a doorstop, it’s easy to uninstall under emergency conditions.

From Washington Post

This was the premise of the American systems novel, which reached its turn-of-the-century apogee in the form of panoramic doorstops by Don DeLillo, Jonathan Franzen and David Foster Wallace.

From Washington Post

Former journalist John Ghazvinian steps into the charged arena with a doorstop of a book that promises to answer the question.

From Washington Post

The chair in this collection has a doorstop on one foot—in one way it is very generic, but it also has this surrealist take on it.

From Fortune

Occasionally a pamphlet for a salsa class might be tossed on a doorstop or stuck on a pole near a bus stop.

From The Daily Beast

Here are some of the juiciest bits of the 652-page doorstop.

From The Daily Beast

Beck proudly announces that he now uses a bust of TR as a doorstop in a symbolic show of his displeasure.

From The Daily Beast

Then he put it on the rim of the chest in such a position that if the lid were to fall it would be stopped by the doorstop.

From Project Gutenberg

Anne hugged Patricia, and departed for her own room, stumbling over the doorstop as she went out.

From Project Gutenberg

He glanced around the room, and his eyes fell on a heavy stone doorstop.

From Project Gutenberg