Definition

1. Noun:
   • A mat placed outside an exterior door for wiping shoes before entering: A physical object, typically made of durable, absorbent, or abrasive material, designed to be placed on the ground in front of a doorway. Its primary function is to allow people to clean the soles of their shoes, removing dirt, water, or debris before stepping inside a building.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Please wipe your feet on the welcome mat before you come in.
  • We bought a new welcome mat that says "Hello" on it for our front door.
  • The welcome mat was soggy from the morning rain.

Advanced Usage

• Figurative Use ("to roll out the welcome mat"): To give someone a very warm and enthusiastic reception. This idiom uses the image of the physical mat to symbolize hospitality.
  • The company rolled out the welcome mat for the new interns with a special luncheon.
  • The small town rolled out the welcome mat for the visiting dignitaries.

Variants and Related Words

• Doormat (n): A more common synonym for a welcome mat. It can also figuratively mean a person who allows others to treat them badly without complaining.
• Entrance mat (n): A more formal or descriptive term for a mat placed at an entrance.

Synonyms

• Doormat: A mat for wiping shoes at a door.
• Scraper mat: A type of mat with a rough surface specifically for scraping mud off shoes.

Related Phrases

• "Wear out one's welcome": To stay somewhere as a guest for so long that one is no longer welcome. This phrase contrasts with the initial hospitality symbolized by a welcome mat.
  • He stayed for three weeks and really wore out his welcome.

Related Idioms

• "To put out the welcome mat": Similar to "roll out the welcome mat," meaning to prepare to receive guests warmly.
  • We're putting out the welcome mat for all our family this holiday season.

Noun

1. a mat placed outside an exterior door for wiping the shoes before entering