English Reference
noun · verb

door

n. · v.
US /ˈdɔɹ/ UK /dˈɔː/ door UK spelling door's, door's

  1. 01 A1 Beginner

    n.the moving panel you open and close to enter or leave a room, building, or car.

    n.a movable barrier used to close off an entrance, typically consisting of a rigid panel that swings on hinges or slides in a groove.

    Simple

    Please remember to lock the front door when you leave the house.

    In context

    The heavy oak door swung open on silent hinges, revealing a dimly lit hallway lined with portraits of the estate's former owners.

  2. 02 A1 Beginner

    n.a place where you enter a building or a specific house.

    n.a point of entry or a building identified by its entrance, often used in phrases like 'next door'.

    Simple

    He lives just two doors down from the local grocery store.

    In context

    The delivery driver was instructed to leave the package at the side door if no one answered the main bell.

    entrywaythreshold
  3. 03 B2 Upper Intermediate

    n.a way to get something or reach a goal.

    n.a figurative means of approach, access, or opportunity.

    Simple

    This internship could open the door to a great career in fashion.

    In context

    The new trade agreement opened the door for small businesses to export their products to international markets for the first time.

  4. 04 C1 Advanced Informal

    n.the money collected from people paying to enter a show or club.

    n.the total proceeds from entrance fees or ticket sales at a venue, often used to determine performer pay.

    Simple

    The band gets half of the money from the door tonight.

    In context

    Despite the heavy rain, the door was surprisingly good, allowing the venue to cover the headliner's guarantee without dipping into bar profits.

  5. 05 C1 Advanced Informal

    v.to open a car door suddenly and cause a cyclist to crash into it.

    v.to cause a collision by opening a vehicle door into the path of an oncoming cyclist.

    Simple

    He was badly injured when a driver doored him on a busy street.

    In context

    The city launched a safety campaign to prevent cyclists from being doored by distracted passengers exiting taxis.

    Usage

    The verb is transitive and often used in the passive voice.

Usage door open · door to new


From Middle English dore, dor, from Old English duru (“door”), dor (“gate”), from Proto-West Germanic dur, from Proto-Germanic durz, from Proto-Indo-European dʰwṓr, from dʰwer- (“doorway, door, gate”). Cognates Cognate with Scots door (“door”), Saterland Frisian Doore (“door”), West Frisian doar (“door”), Dutch deur (“door”), German Low German Door, Döör (“door”), German Tür (“door”), Tor (“gate”), Danish, Norn, and Norwegian dør (“door”), Faroese and Icelandic dyr (“door”), Asturian, Aragonese, and Spanish fuera (“outside”), Catalan, Leonese, and Portuguese fora (“outside”), French hors (“outside”), Galician fóra (“outside”), Italian fuori (“outside”), Mirandese fuora (“outside”), Latin foris and foras (“outside”), Ancient Greek θύρα (thúra), Albanian derë (“door”), Central Kurdish دەرگە (derge, “door”), Northern Kurdish derî (“door”), Persian در (dar, “door”), Belarusian дзве́ры (dzvjéry, “door”), Bulgarian две́ри (dvéri, “royal doors”), Czech dveře (“door”), Latvian durvis (“door”), Lithuanian durys (“door”), Macedonian двер (dver, “door”), Polish drzwi (“door”), Russian дверь (dverʹ), Serbo-Croatian dvȇri (“door”), dvar (“door”), Ukrainian две́рі (dvéri, “door”), Hindi द्वार (dvār, “door”), Armenian դուռ (duṙ, “door”), Irish doras (“door”), Sanskrit द्वार (dvāra, “door”). Despite similarities in spelling, not cognate with Dutch door, which is instead cognate with English through.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Origin ine-pro *dʰwṓr
Level A1 · Beginner
Frequency Very common
Updated