portcullis
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of portcullis
1300–50; Middle English portecolys < Middle French porte coleice, equivalent to porte port 4 + coleice, feminine of coleis flowing, sliding < Vulgar Latin *cōlātīcius; see coulee, -itious
Explanation
A portcullis is a heavy castle door or gate made of metal strips that form a grid. A castle guardian might lower the portcullis to protect the people inside from an invading army. It was common during medieval times for castles to be protected by a portcullis or two. They could be raised and lowered as needed, sometimes in such a way that an enemy would be trapped between a first portcullis and a second. Today, you can still see a portcullis if you visit the Tower of London. The Old French root is porte coleice, "sliding gate," which combines coleice, "sliding or flowing," and porte, "gate or door."
Vocabulary lists containing portcullis
Built To Last: Architectural Parlance
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The Lightning Thief
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The Hobbit
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
As she arrived at Portcullis House in Westminster for the launch of the latest figures from Endometriosis UK, Sanju said she was more determined than ever to make a change.
From BBC • Mar. 16, 2026
“Of course,” he said in an interview this week in Portcullis House, the parliamentary office building across the street from Big Ben.
From New York Times • Apr. 21, 2024
"I have seen five foreign secretaries change over the course of six years," Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe told a press conference at Portcullis House.
From BBC • Mar. 21, 2022
Shah remembered a joyful meeting in Portcullis House with Cox and Stephen Kinnock, another 2015 parliamentary newcomer.
From The Guardian • Jun. 17, 2016
All the fantastic pomp of heraldry was there, Clarencieux and Norroy, Portcullis and Rouge Dragon, the trumpets, the banners, the grotesque coats embroidered with lions and lilies.
From The History of England, from the Accession of James II — Volume 2 by Macaulay, Thomas Babington Macaulay, Baron
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
