doorstep

doorstep — noun

1. one of the steps at the main entrance to a house, where visitors stand while wai

1.nounB1
Definition

one of the steps at the main entrance to a house, where visitors stand while waiting for someone to answer the door

Example

Yuna wiped her boots on the mat before stepping onto the doorstep.

collocation: step onto the doorstep

A cardboard box sat on the doorstep when Mateo opened the front door.

collocation: on the doorstep (location)

Common collocations
  • on the doorstep
  • at the doorstep
  • step onto the doorstep
  • leave something on the doorstep
Synonyms
  • threshold

    refers specifically to the strip at the bottom of a doorframe, not the full step

  • step

    more general; can refer to any stair tread, not just the one at an entrance

Grammar Patterns

doorstep + of + noun phrase

Usage Note

Often appears in the phrase 'on the doorstep', which can literally mean on the step itself, or idiomatically mean very close to where someone lives.

Common Mistakes

She left the key under the doorstep.
She left the key under the doormat.
A doorstep is the step structure itself; a doormat is a fabric mat that sits on top of it.
He was standing on the doorstep of the room.
He was standing on the doorstep of the house.
A doorstep belongs to the main entrance of a building, not an interior door.

2. a thick slice of bread, often cut from a large loaf and used for making substant

2.nounB2
Definition

a thick slice of bread, often cut from a large loaf and used for making substantial sandwiches or toast

Example

Ishaan cut two thick doorsteps from the loaf for his lunch sandwich.

countable noun: cut two doorsteps from the loaf

The café near the station serves doorstep sandwiches with plenty of filling.

compound: doorstep sandwiches

Common collocations
  • doorstep sandwich
  • doorstep of bread
  • toasted doorstep
  • cut a doorstep
Synonyms
  • thick slice

    neutral term without the informal British flavour

  • hunk

    less precise, often suggests a rough or uneven piece

Grammar Patterns

doorstep + of + bread/loaf

doorstep + sandwich

Usage Note

British English only, informal register. Typically used for bread cut from a bakery loaf rather than pre-sliced bread. Often appears as part of the compound 'doorstep sandwich'.

Common Mistakes

I bought a doorstep of bread from the supermarket.
I cut a doorstep from the bread loaf.
'Doorstep' describes a thick single slice, not the whole loaf.
Idioms

on one's doorstep

idiom

very close to where someone lives, within easy reach

Yuna was thrilled to find that a new swimming pool had opened right on her doorstep.

The mountains are on their doorstep, so they go hiking every weekend.

on the/your doorstep

idiom

Very near to someone's home.

Maya loves her new apartment because a park is on her doorstep.

Is there a grocery store on your doorstep?

doorstep — verb

Word family

  • doorstepping
    nounB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Doorstep, threshold, doormat, and doorway all relate to the entrance of a building but refer to different parts. A doorstep is the step outside the door where you stand or wipe your feet. A threshold is the narrow strip at the bottom of the doorframe itself, marking the boundary between inside and outside — you 'cross the threshold' when you enter. A doormat is a fabric or rubber mat placed on the doorstep for cleaning shoes, often carrying a welcome message. A doorway is the opening or passage itself, including the frame. For example: 'Mert left the parcel on the doorstep, stepped over the threshold, and hung his coat in the hallway just inside the doorway.'

threshold ↗doormatdoorway ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • doorstep interview
  • doorstep campaign
  • doorstep sandwich

Adverbs

  • rarely doorstepped
  • regularly doorstepped

Phrases

Prepositions

  • on the doorstep
  • at the doorstep

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

Formed by combining the Old English words 'dor' (door, the entrance to a building) and 'stæpe' (step, a flat surface for placing the foot). The literal noun sense appeared early in the language. The 'thick slice of bread' sense emerged in British English in the mid-20th century, comparing the size of the slice to a doorstep. The verb senses developed later: door-to-door selling in the early 1900s, and the aggressive journalistic sense in the 1980s.