Definition

Noun: A dutch door is an exterior door that is divided horizontally into two separate sections. Each half (top and bottom) can be opened or closed independently of the other.

Usage

A dutch door is typically used in homes, barns, or shops. The primary function is to allow ventilation and light in through the open top half while keeping the bottom half closed for security, to contain pets, or to prevent small children from wandering out.

Examples

• The farmhouse had a dutch door, so the family could enjoy the fresh breeze without the dog running outside.
• She closed the bottom half of the dutch door to keep the toddler inside but left the top open to talk to the neighbor.
• Many colonial-style homes feature a dutch door as their main entrance.

Advanced Usage

• The term can sometimes be used metaphorically to describe something with two independently operating parts, though this is less common.
  • The new policy was a dutch door, pleasing one group with its top half while angering another with its bottom.

Variants and Related Words

• Stable door: This is a common synonym, especially in British English.
• Half door: A more descriptive, informal term for the same concept.

Synonyms

• Stable door
• Half door
• Divided door

Idioms and Phrases

• "Like a dutch door": An informal simile used to describe something that is open or accessible in one part but closed or restricted in another.
  • His mind was like a dutch door on the subject; he was open to new ideas but closed to changing his core habits.

Noun

1. an exterior door divided in two horizontally; either half can be closed or open independently