door

American  

[dawr, dohr] / dɔr, doʊr /

noun

• doors
  plural

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.

---

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.

door British  

/ 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

---

door More Idioms  

1. 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.

---

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• doorless
  adjective
• half-door
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• doors
  plural

Etymology

Origin of door

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

Explanation

A door is a moving structure that when closed acts as a barrier to a room, house, building, or car. You'll have to open the door to let your dog come inside. Buildings have doors, and so do most vehicles. You might also have a special little door built into your own back door for your cat. Doors act as security, as they can be closed and locked, and also as ventilation when you open the door to let the spring air in. Being "out of doors" means you're outside, beyond all the doors of your house or building.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

door doors

At some point, a motorcycle rider engaged the suspect, following and gesticulating at him and, at a red light, getting off his bike in an apparent attempt to open the Honda’s passenger-side door.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026

“Bessent has opened the door to a lot of speculation about what authorities might have up their sleeves.”

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 21, 2026

In the village of Budry, cows and horses grazing in the rolling fields give little hint of the heavily militarised Kaliningrad exclave next door.

From Barron's ● Aug. 21, 2026

She said getting justice for Ashley "massively helped us as a family… because that's a door that you can close and you can start to move away from that".

From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026

Matthew rolls his eyes, although he’s careful not to let the woman at the door see him.

From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold

It’s a collection of songs pieced together from perfect-seeming snippets heard while passing open doors.

From Salon ● Aug. 21, 2026

Davis urged residents to take steps to reduce their risk such as using DEET-containing insect repellent, eliminating sources of standing water and ensuring windows and doors have tight-fitting screens.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026

Private equity even infiltrated the most exclusive ownership club in 2024 when the NFL was the last major U.S. league to open its doors.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026

All the suites have privacy doors and aisle access in the airline’s 1 x 2 x 1 configuration.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026

“Enjoy your recap,” he said over his shoulder as he left the room, the doors sliding shut behind him with an official-sounding metallic click.

From "Glitch" by Laura Martin

Related Words

• exit
• gate