Word
threshold
Phoneticsthresh·old, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈθɹɛˌʃoʊɫd/
UK/θɹˈɛʃəʊld/
Definitions
01doorway
B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun
n. the floor at the bottom of a doorway that you step over to enter a room or building.
n. the piece of wood or stone which lies under a door; a sill that must be crossed to enter a structure.
Español:umbral
“He paused at the threshold of the house, hesitant to step inside.”
“The traditional custom involved the groom carrying the bride over the threshold to ensure good luck in their new home.”
02the beginning
B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun
n. the point just before a new situation or a big change starts.
n. the point of entering or beginning a new state, period, or experience.
“The young graduates felt they were on the threshold of a new life.”
“The discovery of the new vaccine placed the medical community on the threshold of a revolutionary era in preventative care.”
Antonyms
03trigger level
C1 · Advanced Countable noun Science Academic · Technical
n. the level or point at which something starts to happen or change.
n. the magnitude or intensity that must be exceeded for a certain reaction, phenomenon, or condition to occur.
“Some people have a very low threshold for pain and feel it quickly.”
“The sensor is programmed to ignore minor vibrations until they reach a specific threshold that indicates a potential structural failure.”
04runway start
C2 · Proficiency Countable noun Aviation Technical
n. the very beginning of the part of a runway where a plane can land.
n. the beginning of that portion of the runway usable for landing.
“The pilot lined up the aircraft with the runway threshold for a smooth landing.”
“Heavy rain reduced visibility so much that the pilot could barely discern the threshold markings during the final approach.”
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “threshold” in context.
Adjective
01. low threshold
“Patients with a low threshold for pain may require more frequent monitoring after the procedure.”
adj + noun
Real-World Examples
“While Saturday will still feel very warm in south-eastern areas of England, temperatures will have mostly come down below the heatwave threshold of 28C, marking an end to the current heatwave.” “It's a price tag that would have once looked strikingly high, but across much of the UK the £4 threshold is well broken, including in chains that do not use the highest-grade beans.” “It also calls for the government to abolish the social care savings threshold for working-age people and equalise staff pay between social care and the NHS.” “Official analysis released on Wednesday showed it could cost employers between £350m and £2.9bn, based on the eventual threshold of hours the policy impacts.” Etymology
From Middle English threschwolde, threscholde, from Old English þresċold, þerxold, þrexwold (“doorsill, entryway”), from Proto-Germanic þreskudlaz, þreskūþlijaz, þreskwaþluz, from Proto-Germanic þreskaną, þreskwaną (“to thresh, (originally) to tread”), from Proto-Indo-European terh₁- (“to rub, turn”). Cognate with Low German Drüssel (“threshold”), dialectal German Drischaufel, Drissufle, Trüschübel (“threshold”), Danish tærskel (“threshold”), Norwegian terskel (“threshold”), Swedish tröskel (“threshold”), dialectal Swedish träskvald (“threshold”), Icelandic þröskuldur (“threshold”). Pronunciations such as “thresh-hold” are un-etymological and result from analogy with hold.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Domains
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Common
- Level
- C1 · AdvancedOxford
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/threshold
Traducciones: Kaikki.org (Wiktionary), CC BY-SA 4.0