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definitions

portiere

or por·tière

[pawr-tyair, -teer, pohr-, pawr-tee-air, pohr-]
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SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR portiere ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a curtain hung in a doorway, either to replace the door or for decoration.

RELATED WORDS

decoration, drape, screen, shutter, shroud, shade, veil, drapery, blind, rag, shield, film, hanging, jalousie, valance, oleo, roller

Origin of portiere

1835–45; < French portière < Medieval Latin portāria, noun use of feminine of Late Latin portārius; see porter2
Related formspor·tiered, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for portiere

Historical Examples of portiere

  • Perhaps, though, he would pass it by, and—Jason's hand reached out and grasped the portiere.

  • A second later he pushed his head through the portiere and repeated: "No, sir; all is not lost!"

  • His hand was on the portiere, and he turned in alarm at her strange call.

  • The commanding officer left the table hastily; the portiere was drawn.

    Vanished Arizona

    Martha Summerhayes

  • He stood for a second to straighten his limbs; then he turned, and, moving directly forward, passed through the portiere.

    The Masquerader

    Katherine Cecil Thurston

British Dictionary definitions for portiere

portière

noun

a curtain hung in a doorway
Derived Formsportired, adjective

Word Origin for portière

C19: via French from Medieval Latin portāria, from Latin porta door
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
Word Origin and History for portiere
n.

door curtain, 1843, from French portière, from Medieval Latin portaria, fem. singular of Latin portarius "belonging to a door or gate" (see porter (n.2)).

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper