door
Americannoun
-
a movable, usually solid, barrier for opening and closing an entranceway, cupboard, cabinet, or the like, commonly turning on hinges or sliding in grooves.
-
a doorway.
to go through the door.
-
the building, house, etc., to which a door belongs.
My friend lives two doors down the street.
-
any means of approach, admittance, or access.
the doors to learning.
-
any gateway marking an entrance or exit from one place or state to another.
at heaven's door.
idioms
-
lay at someone's door, to hold someone accountable for; blame; impute.
-
leave the door open, to allow the possibility of accommodation or change; be open to reconsideration.
The boss rejected our idea but left the door open for discussing it again next year.
-
lie at someone's door, to be the responsibility of; be imputable to.
One's mistakes often lie at one's own door.
-
show someone the door, to request or order someone to leave; dismiss.
She resented his remark and showed him the door.
noun
-
-
a hinged or sliding panel for closing the entrance to a room, cupboard, etc
-
( in combination )
doorbell
doorknob
-
-
a doorway or entrance to a room or building
-
a means of access or escape
a door to success
-
informal sport at an early stage
-
to lay (the blame or responsibility) on someone
-
in or into the open air
-
to order someone to leave
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of door
First recorded before 900; Middle English dore, Old English duru “door,” dor “gate”; akin to German Tür, Old Norse dyrr, Greek thýra, Latin foris, Old Irish dorus, Old Chursh Slavonic dvĭrĭ
Explanation
A door is a moving structure that when closed acts as a barrier to a room, house, building, or car. You'll have to open the door to let your dog come inside. Buildings have doors, and so do most vehicles. You might also have a special little door built into your own back door for your cat. Doors act as security, as they can be closed and locked, and also as ventilation when you open the door to let the spring air in. Being "out of doors" means you're outside, beyond all the doors of your house or building.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Maybe a spoof doesn’t have to be consistently funny or ideologically progressive to be enjoyable, and anyone who demands those things should just close the door and forget what they’ve seen.
From Salon • Jun. 11, 2026
“It would be trying to kick the door off the hinges.”
From MarketWatch • Jun. 11, 2026
The two riders were seen entering through a main door and exiting the store through the garden center.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 10, 2026
This is important because it opens the door to manufactures deemed to be more than 2% behind the most powerful engine to upgrade their engines this year and next.
From BBC • Jun. 10, 2026
I reach up and shut the garage door.
From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
