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
Tidball wants to show me a change that has already been made in the newer Portcullis House - an accessible door.
From BBC • Sep. 1, 2025
“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
Shah remembered a joyful meeting in Portcullis House with Cox and Stephen Kinnock, another 2015 parliamentary newcomer.
From The Guardian • Jun. 17, 2016
The mummery of Portcullis and Rouge Dragon, as it has no other value than that which caprice has assigned to it, may well submit to any laws which caprice may impose on it.
From Critical and Historical Essays — 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.
