door

door — noun

1. A flat panel made of wood, glass, or another solid material. People open and clo

1.nounA1
Definition

A flat panel made of wood, glass, or another solid material. People open and close it to move between spaces such as inside a house and the street, one room and the next, a cupboard and a kitchen, or a car and the outside.

Example

Xiu pushed the heavy wooden door open and walked into the kitchen.

push + door + open — verb + door + adjective complement

Aarav locked the front door before leaving for school at seven.

lock the front door — common daily household action

Common collocations
  • front door
  • back door
  • side door
  • answer the door
  • slam the door
  • lock the door
  • sliding door
Synonyms
  • gate

    a larger, often outdoor entrance that swings or slides, usually made of metal or bars

  • entrance

    the opening or area where you go in, not the moving barrier itself

Common Mistakes

I opened the door for go outside.
I opened the door to go outside.
after 'open the door', use 'to' + infinitive for purpose, not 'for'.

2. The activity of checking who may enter a venue — for instance, collecting entry

2.nounB1
Definition

The activity of checking who may enter a venue — for instance, collecting entry passes at the door of a theatre or verifying ages before letting people into a nightclub.

Example

Ishaan worked the door at the concert hall for three summers before college.

work the door — fixed phrase for ticket-collecting job

Élise worked the door at the Grand Theatre for six months last year.

work the door at [venue] — fixed phrase for ticket duty

Common collocations
  • work the door
  • stand at the door
  • check tickets at the door
Synonyms
  • bouncer

    a person who works at a club entrance to keep out troublemakers, often more aggressive than a ticket-collector

  • ticket collector

    someone whose main job is taking tickets, not checking identity or enforcing rules

Usage Note

The phrase 'work the door' is the most common expression for this sense. 'Stand at the door' describes the physical position but does not by itself imply the ticket-collecting duty.

3. A way of referring to a house, flat, or other building by how many buildings awa

3.nounA2
Definition

A way of referring to a house, flat, or other building by how many buildings away it is from another one along a street.

Example

The Watanabe family lives three doors down from the town library.

three doors down — distance expression with number

Gabriel knocked on every door along Maple Street asking for donations.

Common collocations
  • next door
  • three doors down
  • two doors away
  • door to door
  • live next door
  • knock on doors
Synonyms
  • house

    the standard word for a building where people live, less informal than 'door' in this metonymic sense

  • home

    a place where someone lives, with emotional warmth implied

Usage Note

This sense is most often used in the plural ('three doors down', 'two doors away') or in the fixed phrase 'next door'. It does NOT refer to the physical door panel but to the whole building or residence.

Common Mistakes

She lives in the door of 42.
She lives in the house at number 42.
'door' here refers to a whole building in expressions like 'three doors down', not in addresses.

4. In or into the area outside a building, not inside it.

4.nounA2
Definition

In or into the area outside a building, not inside it.

Example

The children played out of doors until the street lights came on.

out of doors — fixed phrase for outside

Joaquín prefers to eat out of doors when the weather is warm.

Common collocations
  • out of doors
  • go out of doors
  • stay out of doors
  • eat out of doors
Synonyms
  • outdoors

    the standard adverb; 'out of doors' is a slightly more formal alternative

  • outside

    the most common everyday word for this meaning

Antonyms

Usage Note

Almost always used in the fixed phrase 'out of doors'. The more common single-word equivalent is 'outdoors' or 'outside'. 'Out of doors' sounds slightly more literary or old-fashioned.

Common Mistakes

We ate out door.
We ate out of doors.
the fixed phrase requires 'of' between 'out' and 'doors'.

5. A chance or way to reach, get, or achieve something that you want — for example,

5.nounB1
Definition

A chance or way to reach, get, or achieve something that you want — for example, a job offer that opens the door to a new career, or a law that opens the door to change.

Example

The scholarship opened the door to a better education for Xiu.

open the door to [something] — opportunity idiom

With the right training, Hana opened the door to a better career.

Common collocations
  • open the door to
  • open doors
  • door to success
  • door to opportunity
  • door to the future
Synonyms
  • opportunity

    a direct synonym, but 'door' is more metaphorical and informal

  • gateway

    similar metaphor, often implying a path to a different kind of life or status

  • pathway

    less common, suggests a series of steps rather than a single opening

Antonyms
  • barrier

    something that blocks access or prevents progress

Grammar Patterns

door to [something]

door for [someone]

open the door to [something]

Usage Note

Most commonly used in the fixed expression 'open the door to [something]'. The plural 'open doors' is also common. The preposition that follows is almost always 'to'.

Common Mistakes

The program opened the door of success.
The program opened the door to success.
the preposition after 'open the door' in this sense is 'to', not 'of'.
Idioms

at death’s door

idiom

Very close to dying because of a serious illness.

After the car accident, Grandpa was at death’s door for weeks.

Is the old cat really at death’s door, or just sleeping?

beat a path to somebody’s door

idiom

Many people go to someone because they want what that person offers.

After her award, publishers beat a path to Maya’s door.

Why are so many investors beating a path to his door?

behind closed doors

idiom

Happening in private, without the public watching.

The committee discussed the budget behind closed doors.

Why was the trial held behind closed doors?

be on/work the door

idiom

To work at the entrance of a place, checking tickets or admitting people.

Diego worked the door at the concert last night.

Who is on the door at the club tonight?

by/through the back door

idiom

In a secret or unfair way, not through the normal process.

He got the job through the back door using his connections.

The new rule was introduced by the back door, without debate.

close/shut the door on something

idiom

To make something impossible or unlikely to happen.

The manager closed the door on any further negotiations.

Did the accident shut the door on her athletic career?

close its doors | close shop

idiom

To stop doing business permanently.

The small bookstore closed its doors after fifty years.

The factory closed shop and moved to another country.

(open) the door to something

idiom

To create an opportunity for something to happen.

The new law opened the door to more foreign investment.

Her research opened the door to a cure for the disease.

(from) door to door

idiom

Going from one building to the next, or from start to finish of a journey.

The trip from my house to the airport takes an hour door to door.

A door-to-door salesman knocked on our door yesterday.

early doors

idiom

At an early stage, especially in a sports game or competition.

The team scored two goals early doors and won easily.

Early doors, the match seemed one-sided, but then it changed.

get/have a/your foot in the door

idiom

To get a first chance to enter a profession or organization.

An internship helped Sara get her foot in the door at the magazine.

He got a foot in the door by working as a volunteer.

keep the wolf from the door

idiom

To have enough money to buy food and avoid hunger.

His part-time job barely keeps the wolf from the door.

With rising prices, it's hard to keep the wolf from the door.

lay something at somebody’s door

idiom

To blame someone for something that went wrong.

The failure was laid at the manager's door.

Don't lay the mistake at my door; I wasn't even there.

leave the door open (for something)

idiom

To keep the possibility of something happening in the future.

The company left the door open for future negotiations.

We should leave the door open for a compromise.

never darken my door again

idiom

A command telling someone never to come to your home again.

After the argument, she told him never to darken her door again.

He was so angry he said, 'Never darken my door again!'

open doors for somebody

idiom

To create opportunities for someone to succeed.

Her degree opened doors for her in the tech industry.

A good recommendation can open doors for a young professional.

out of doors

idiom

Outside, not inside a building.

Children should play out of doors in the fresh air.

We ate lunch out of doors on the patio.

show somebody the door

idiom

To tell someone to leave because they are not welcome.

When he became rude, the host showed him the door.

The security guard showed the troublemaker the door.

to somebody’s door

idiom

Delivered directly to someone's home.

The pizza was delivered to our door in thirty minutes.

The store offers free shipping to your door.

Word family

  • doorway
    nounA2
  • doorstep
    nounB1
  • doorman
    nounB1
  • doorbell
    nounA2
  • doormat
    nounB1
  • doorframe
    nounB1
  • door-to-door
    adjectiveB1
  • indoor
    adjectiveA2
  • outdoor
    adjectiveA2
  • indoors
    adverbA2
  • outdoors
    adverbA2
  • doorstep
    verbB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/5

All four words can refer to a means of reaching something desirable, but they differ in how direct or structural they feel. 'Door' (noun/5) is the most versatile and conversational: 'open the door to a new job' works in everyday speech, while 'gateway' carries a stronger sense of transition into a different state or world — 'a gateway to a better life' implies a clear before-and-after change. 'Pathway' suggests a longer, step-by-step journey rather than a single opening; it is common in career and education contexts ('a pathway to university'). 'Access' is more neutral and practical — it focuses on the ability to enter or use something ('access to healthcare') without the dramatic opening metaphor. Use 'door' for informal, optimistic chances; 'gateway' for life-changing shifts; 'pathway' for structured progress; and 'access' for factual availability.

doorgatewaypathwayaccess

Common collocations

Nouns

  • handle
  • frame
  • bell
  • mat
  • key
  • lock
  • knocker
  • hinge
  • step

Adverbs

  • next
  • open
  • closed
  • locked
  • front
  • back
  • side
  • sliding
  • revolving

Phrases

  • next door
  • out of doors
  • behind closed doors
  • from door to door
  • open the door to
  • answer the door
  • show someone the door
  • slam the door on

Prepositions

  • at
  • through
  • out of
  • to
  • inside
  • behind
  • between

Etymology

Proto-Indo-EuropeanProto-GermanicOld EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

The English word 'door' comes from two Old English words: 'duru' (a door on a building) and 'dor' (a large gate or entrance). Both trace back to the same Proto-Germanic root '*dur-', which itself comes from the Proto-Indo-European root '*dʰwer-' meaning 'door' or 'doorway'. Related words appear in many other languages: Latin 'fores' (a double door), Greek 'thura' (door), and Sanskrit 'dvāra' (door, gate). The modern spelling 'door' was established by the 1200s, replacing earlier forms like 'dure' and 'dore'.