porte-cochere

or porte-co·chère

[ pawrt-koh-shair, -kuh-, pohrt- ]

/ ˌpɔrt koʊˈʃɛər, -kə-, ˌpoʊrt- /

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noun

(in historical use) a covered carriage entrance leading into a courtyard.

a porch or covered area at the door of a building for sheltering persons entering and leaving vehicles: a porte-cochere for protection in wet weather.

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Origin of porte-cochere

First recorded in 1690–1700; French: literally, “gate for coaches”

Words nearby porte-cochere

Port Coquitlam, portcullis, port de bras, Port du Salut, Porte, porte-cochere, Port Elizabeth, portend, port engineer, portent, portentous

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use porte-cochere in a sentence

His family lived in commodious apartments over the store, having an entrance on the side within the porte cochere.
The Awakening and Selected Short Stories|Kate Chopin
A half-hour later they were riding under the porte cochere of the inn of the Black Boar.
St. Martin's Summer|Rafael Sabatini
But while his elders alighted, under the porte cochere, Paul did not smile.
On the Edge of the Arctic|Harry Lincoln Sayler
It must have been near morning when I was awakened by the jingling of bells, and a sleigh driving into the porte cochere.
Unveiling a Parallel|Alice Ilgenfritz Jones and Ella Marchant

Windows were open, an elderly woman was hanging out clothes in the back yard, and the doctor's gig stood under the porte-cochere.
Pollyanna|Eleanor H. Porter

British Dictionary definitions for porte-cochere

porte-cochere

/ (ˌpɔːtkɒˈʃɛə) /

noun

a large covered entrance for vehicles leading into a courtyard

a large roof projecting over a drive to shelter travellers entering or leaving vehicles

Word Origin for porte-cochere

C17: from French: carriage entrance, from porte gateway + coche coach

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