doorstop

[dawr-stop]

noun

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

2. Also called stop. Also called slamming stile. (in a doorframe) a strip or projecting surface against which the door closes.

3. a device for preventing a door from striking a wall or an object on a wall, as a small rubber-covered projection.

doorstop

/ ˈdɔːˌstɒp /

noun

1. a heavy object, wedge, or other device which prevents an open door from moving

2. a projecting piece of rubber, etc, fixed to the floor to stop a door from striking a wall

3. informal,  a very thick book

Word History and Origins

Origin of doorstop¹

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

Example Sentences

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

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The move comes as the delivery sector suffers from increasing competition as people shop more online and get shopping delivered to their doorstops.

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And he didn’t foreclose a future bid for governor, keeping the possibility propped open with this rhetorical doorstop: “Never say never.”

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

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Unreadable doorstops her books may be, but they would seem to reveal something about the psychology of a significant slice of Americans.

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