doorstop

American

[dawr-stop] / ˈdɔrˌstɒp /

noun

a device for holding a door open, as a wedge or small weight.
Also called stop. Also called slamming stile. (in a doorframe) a strip or projecting surface against which the door closes.
a device for preventing a door from striking a wall or an object on a wall, as a small rubber-covered projection.

doorstop British

/ ˈdɔːˌstɒp /

noun

a heavy object, wedge, or other device which prevents an open door from moving
a projecting piece of rubber, etc, fixed to the floor to stop a door from striking a wall
informal a very thick book

"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

Etymology

Origin of doorstop

An Americanism dating back to 1870–75; door + stop

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.

That 2,700-page doorstop, the fruit of 750 “editor-years,” was greeted with brickbats on its appearance in 1961.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 14, 2025

Ignoring this opportunity is like discovering the Rosetta Stone and using it as a doorstop.

From MarketWatch • Oct. 9, 2025

Additionally, while this isn’t size related, the doorstop on the floor is nearly invisible, especially at night.

From Salon • Oct. 23, 2024

Standing on her doorstop in the Sherwood area of the city, another woman tells us how stolen items are sold in the neighbourhood.

From BBC • Oct. 1, 2023

At least as a doorstop it gets used.

From "Five Feet Apart" by Rachael Lippincott

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023