porch

American  

[pawrch, pohrch] / pɔrtʃ, poʊrtʃ /

noun

1. an exterior appendage to a building, forming a covered approach or vestibule to a doorway.

2. a veranda.

3. the Porch, the portico or stoa in the agora of ancient Athens, where the Stoic philosopher Zeno of Citium and his followers met.

4. Obsolete. a portico.

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porch British  

/ pɔːtʃ /

noun

1. a low structure projecting from the doorway of a house and forming a covered entrance

2. an exterior roofed gallery, often partly enclosed; veranda

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Other Word Forms

• porchless adjective
• porchlike adjective
• underporch noun

Etymology

Origin of porch

1250–1300; Middle English porche < Old French < Latin porticus porch, portico

Example Sentences

Grandpa was sitting on the porch of the store when Rowdy and I came walking up the road.

From Literature

The miller’s daughter, Opal, was spinning outside on the porch.

From Literature

“Kin” deftly alternates points of view between Vernice and Annie, narrating events by way of a vernacular that would be at home on a front porch rocking chair.

From Los Angeles Times

The company is Ridwell, and if you drive the residential streets of the San Francisco Bay Area or Los Angeles, you’re likely to see the company’s signature white metal boxes on porches.

From Los Angeles Times

At one point, the man, who authorities describe as approximately between 5’9” and 5’10” with an average build, notices the camera on the front porch and tries to cover the lens with his hand.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• balcony
• deck
• portico
• stoop
• veranda