doorstop

[ dawr-stop, dohr- ]

/ ˈdɔrˌstɒp, ˈdoʊr- /

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noun

a device for holding a door open, as a wedge or small weight.

Also called slamming stile, stop. (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.

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“Was” is used for the indicative past tense of “to be,” and “were” is only used for the subjunctive past tense.

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Origin of doorstop

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

Words nearby doorstop

Doors, doorsill, doorstead, doorstep, doorstone, doorstop, door-to-door, doorway, doorwoman, dooryard, doosra

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use doorstop in a sentence

Deep down, I must still be a kid, because I couldn’t stop eating this doorstop of a sandwich, featuring two thick slices of toasted brioche that conceal a filling of spicy pork sausage, prosciutto cotto, grana and mozzarella.
The 25 best sandwiches in the D.C. area|Tim Carman|June 16, 2021|Washington Post
It takes less than a minute to install, and like a doorstop, it’s easy to uninstall under emergency conditions.
Portable door locks can give travelers extra comfort and protection. Here’s how to choose one.|Gina Rich|May 20, 2021|Washington Post
This was the premise of the American systems novel, which reached its turn-of-the-century apogee in the form of panoramic doorstops by Don DeLillo, Jonathan Franzen and David Foster Wallace.
‘Paradise, Nevada’ tries to capture our anxious American essence with a collision course through the gaming industry|Pete Tosiello|April 11, 2021|Washington Post
Former journalist John Ghazvinian steps into the charged arena with a doorstop of a book that promises to answer the question.
America and Iran, from fascination to antagonism|Ray Takeyh|February 26, 2021|Washington Post

The chair in this collection has a doorstop on one foot—in one way it is very generic, but it also has this surrealist take on it.
Ikea promises ‘democratic’ design. Has its Virgil Abloh collaboration lived up?|claychandler|August 25, 2020|Fortune
Occasionally a pamphlet for a salsa class might be tossed on a doorstop or stuck on a pole near a bus stop.
Iran’s Becoming a Footloose Nation as Dance Lessons Spread|IranWire|January 2, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Here are some of the juiciest bits of the 652-page doorstop.
Speed Read: The Juiciest Bits From a New Book on the Duke Lacrosse Scandal|William O’Connor|April 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Beck proudly announces that he now uses a bust of TR as a doorstop in a symbolic show of his displeasure.
The GOP's War on Teddy Roosevelt|John Avlon|March 9, 2010|DAILY BEAST
Then he put it on the rim of the chest in such a position that if the lid were to fall it would be stopped by the doorstop.
The Eyes Have It|Gordon Randall Garrett
Anne hugged Patricia, and departed for her own room, stumbling over the doorstop as she went out.
The Mystery of Arnold Hall|Helen M. Persons
He glanced around the room, and his eyes fell on a heavy stone doorstop.
The Eyes Have It|Gordon Randall Garrett

British Dictionary definitions for doorstop

doorstop

/ (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