portcullis

American  

[pawrt-kuhl-is, pohrt-] / pɔrtˈkʌl ɪs, poʊrt- /

noun

1. (especially in medieval castles) a strong grating, as of iron, made to slide along vertical grooves at the sides of a gateway of a fortified place and let down to prevent passage.

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portcullis British  

/ pɔːtˈkʌlɪs /

noun

1. an iron or wooden grating suspended vertically in grooves in the gateway of a castle or fortified town and able to be lowered so as to bar the entrance

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Etymology

Origin of portcullis

1300–50; Middle English portecolys < Middle French porte coleice, equivalent to porte port ⁴ + coleice, feminine of coleis flowing, sliding < Vulgar Latin *cōlātīcius; see coulee, -itious

Explanation

A portcullis is a heavy castle door or gate made of metal strips that form a grid. A castle guardian might lower the portcullis to protect the people inside from an invading army. It was common during medieval times for castles to be protected by a portcullis or two. They could be raised and lowered as needed, sometimes in such a way that an enemy would be trapped between a first portcullis and a second. Today, you can still see a portcullis if you visit the Tower of London. The Old French root is porte coleice, "sliding gate," which combines coleice, "sliding or flowing," and porte, "gate or door."

Example Sentences

As she arrived at Portcullis House in Westminster for the launch of the latest figures from Endometriosis UK, Sanju said she was more determined than ever to make a change.

From BBC • Mar. 16, 2026

“Of course,” he said in an interview this week in Portcullis House, the parliamentary office building across the street from Big Ben.

From New York Times • Apr. 21, 2024

All of this happened on the floor of Portcullis House, the glass-roofed space full of fig trees and coffee tables.

From BBC • Sep. 26, 2019

Shah remembered a joyful meeting in Portcullis House with Cox and Stephen Kinnock, another 2015 parliamentary newcomer.

From The Guardian • Jun. 17, 2016

Pursuivant, one of the junior officers in the Heralds' College, four in England, named respectively Rouge Croix, Blue Mantle, Rouge Dragon, and Portcullis; and three in Scotland, named respectively Bute, Carrick, and Unicorn.

From The Nuttall Encyclopædia Being a Concise and Comprehensive Dictionary of General Knowledge by Nuttall, P. Austin

Related Words

• bar
• door
• doorway
• exit
• fence
• port