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.

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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

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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.

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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

Section 301 has also opened the door to new country-specific tariffs targeted at Brazil, at 25%, while Section 338 was cited to slap an extra 50% import tax on certain Canadian goods.

From Salon ● Aug. 16, 2026

The billionaire entrepreneur Fernando De Leon says he was shown the door as an analyst at Goldman Sachs, and took it as a sign that he wasn’t meant to answer to anyone.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 15, 2026

"It was literally grab what you needed and get out and within about four or five minutes the police knocked on the door again and said, 'You really have got to get out now'."

From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026

Martin Ramirez, who owns a repair shop next door to the warehouse, says he cares little whether the date was Friday or next week.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026

Screaming won’t help, but she does it anyway, pounding on the door with both fists.

From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith

Hawaii's emergency management agency recommended residents clear gutters and drains and move valuables off the ground, seal gaps in doors and remove tree limbs that threaten their properties.

From Barron's ● Aug. 15, 2026

The ground floor features an open great room with a wood-paneled ceiling and a wall of bifold glass doors, which open to a landscaped conversation area.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 14, 2026

A lot of us have early career stories like this—happy accidents that opened doors.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026

Gov. Gavin Newsom and lawmakers are working behind closed doors on a package of wildfire bills.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026

I whirled around to see James on the last step of the trolley’s doors.

From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu

Related Words

• exit
• gate