door

[ dawr, dohr ]

/ dɔr, doʊr /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR door ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

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

a doorway: to go through the door.

the building, house, etc., to which a door belongs: My friend lives two doors down the street.

any means of approach, admittance, or access: the doors to learning.

any gateway marking an entrance or exit from one place or state to another: at heaven's door.

Nearby words

Idioms

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

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.

lie at someone's door, to be the responsibility of; be imputable to: One's mistakes often lie at one's own door.

show someone the door, to request or order someone to leave; dismiss: She resented his remark and showed him the door.

Origin of door

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, OCS dvĭrĭ

Related formsdoor·less, adjectivehalf-door, adjective, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for door

A guard is manning the door, which is always kept ajar so she can be monitored.
Should Teens Have The Right To Die?|Brandy Zadrozny|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
They eye the door anxiously, convinced that at any moment, a Pakistani or Iranian intelligence officer will come barging in.
The Dangerous Drug-Funded Secret War Between Iran and Pakistan|Umar Farooq|December 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
This courageous act earned him a late-night knock on the door with orders for Serna to vamos from Cuba.
Obama’s One Hand Clap With Castro|Doug McIntyre|December 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In the back of my mind I was wondering how much time we had before there might be an ominous knock at the door.
The Life and Hard Times Of The Family A Cuban Defector Left Behind|Brin-Jonathan Butler|December 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST

These are modern-day minstrels, trolling late-night highways to bring their art to your door.
On Tour With The Head and the Heart, Indie Rock’s Next Big Thing|James Joiner|December 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The door was still open, and Kit was still fussing about his desk.
Deering of Deal|Latta Griswold
The door below it was also open, and with the idea that I would surely find some one there, I walked on up the hall.
In the Fog|Richard Harding Davis
The servant followed with the two cases and the bag, and laid them upon the table, then placed himself at the door.
Frederick The Great and His Family|L. Muhlbach
Was there a third accomplice—for she thought she could see two spots of deeper blackness by the door—hidden in the house?
The Green Satin Gown|Laura E. Richards
We ascended a very darksome flight of stairs, and a door was opened by a strange little man.
Hawthorne and His Circle|Julian Hawthorne

British Dictionary definitions for door

door

/ (dɔː) /

noun

a hinged or sliding panel for closing the entrance to a room, cupboard, etc
(in combination)doorbell; doorknob

a doorway or entrance to a room or building

a means of access or escapea door to success

early doors British informal esp sport at an early stage

lay at someone's door to lay (the blame or responsibility) on someone

out of doors in or into the open air

show someone the door to order someone to leave

Word Origin for door

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

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for door

door

Middle English merger of Old English dor (neuter; plural doru) "large door, gate," and Old English duru (fem., plural dura) "door, gate, wicket;" both from Proto-Germanic *dur- (cf. Old Saxon duru, Old Norse dyrr, Danish dør, Old Frisian dure, Old High German turi, German Tür).

The Germanic words are from PIE *dhwer- "a doorway, a door, a gate" (cf. Greek thura, Latin foris, Gaulish doro "mouth," Gothic dauro "gate," Sanskrit dvárah "door, gate," Old Persian duvara- "door," Old Prussian dwaris "gate," Russian dver' "a door").

The base form is frequently in dual or plural, leading to speculation that houses of the original Indo-Europeans had doors with two swinging halves. Middle English had both dure and dor; form dore predominated by 16c., but was supplanted by door.

A door is what a dog is perpetually on the wrong side of. [Ogden Nash]

Idioms and Phrases with door

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.