doorstep
/'dɔ:step/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Noun:
- The sill of a door; a horizontal piece of wood, stone, or other material that forms the bottom of a doorway and offers support when passing through a doorway. It is the step or threshold at the entrance to a building or room.
Usage
- The word "doorstep" is used to refer to the physical structure at the base of a door. It is often the place where people stand before entering, where deliveries are left, or where one might sit. It is a concrete noun.
Examples
- Noun:
- She sat on the doorstep, waiting for her friend to arrive.
- The newspaper was delivered to our doorstep every morning.
- He wiped his feet on the doorstep before entering the house.
Advanced Usage
- "On one's doorstep": This idiom means very close to where someone lives or works, often implying something is conveniently nearby or, conversely, that a problem is directly affecting one's immediate area.
- We have a great park right on our doorstep.
- The factory closure brought unemployment to the town's doorstep.
Variants and Related Words
- Doorway (n): The opening for an entrance into a building or room, which includes the doorstep.
- Threshold (n): A word often used synonymously with doorstep, though it can also refer more abstractly to the point of entry or beginning of something.
- Sill (n): The horizontal base part of a window or door frame; the doorstep is specifically the door sill.
Synonyms
- Threshold: The stone or plank forming the bottom of a doorway.
- Sill: The horizontal piece at the bottom of a door or window frame.
Related Phrases
- "At the doorstep of": On the verge of or very close to achieving or experiencing something.
- The team is at the doorstep of a major discovery.
Idioms
- "On the doorstep": As described in Advanced Usage, meaning very near or immediately affecting someone.
- "Doorstep interview": A style of journalism where reporters question people at their homes, literally on their doorsteps.
Noun
- the sill of a door; a horizontal piece of wood or stone that forms the bottom of a doorway and offers support when passing through a doorway