doorstop: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
B1Neutral; slightly informal when used metaphorically.
Quick answer
What does “doorstop” mean?
A heavy or wedge-shaped object placed against or under a door to hold it open or prevent it from closing.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A heavy or wedge-shaped object placed against or under a door to hold it open or prevent it from closing.
An object used to prop open a door; can also refer to a decorative object serving this function. Informally, can refer to a person or thing that is large and heavy, or that obstructs a passage. Also, the small rubber or plastic piece at the end of a door hinge pin, preventing it from sliding out.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The term is identical in use and frequency. A slight difference exists in the term for the hinge part: 'door hinge pin stop' might be more common in US technical contexts, but 'doorstop' is still understood.
Connotations
Identical. The metaphorical use (e.g., 'a book the size of a doorstop') is equally common in both varieties.
Frequency
Equally common in everyday speech in both regions.
Grammar
How to Use “doorstop” in a Sentence
[object] acts as a doorstopuse [object] as a doorstopprop the door open with a [doorstop]Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “doorstop” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- I'll just doorstop this with my boot until you come back.
- He doorstopped the fire exit, which is against safety regulations.
American English
- Can you doorstop that so the movers can get through?
- They doorstopped the conference room door for the networking session.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rare; might appear in procurement for office furnishings.
Academic
Rare; could appear in design, history, or material culture studies.
Everyday
Common for describing a household/office item.
Technical
Used in architecture, joinery, and hardware specifications.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “doorstop”
- Spelling as two words: 'door stop' (acceptable but less common as a compound). Using it to mean 'doorstep' (the step outside a door).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is most commonly written as one word ('doorstop'), though the two-word form ('door stop') is also occasionally seen and is acceptable.
Yes, informally. To 'doorstop' something means to use it to prop open a door (e.g., 'He doorstopped it with a brick').
They are often used interchangeably. Technically, a 'door wedge' is a specific type of doorstop, usually a wedge of rubber or wood slid under the door. A 'doorstop' can be any object serving the function, including heavy decorative ones.
Not necessarily negative, but it is informal and often humorous. It emphasizes physical size/weight, which could imply the content is dense or cumbersome, but not always negatively.
A heavy or wedge-shaped object placed against or under a door to hold it open or prevent it from closing.
Doorstop is usually neutral; slightly informal when used metaphorically. in register.
Doorstop: in British English it is pronounced /ˈdɔːstɒp/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈdɔːrstɑːp/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “[Something] is as heavy as a doorstop.”
- “He wrote a doorstop of a novel. (a very long, heavy book)”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
DOOR + STOP. It's simple: It STOPS the DOOR from moving.
Conceptual Metaphor
WEIGHT IS SOLIDITY/FUNCTION (a good doorstop is heavy); AN IMPEDIMENT IS A PHYSICAL BLOCK (metaphorical use).
Practice
Quiz
In informal language, calling a book 'a doorstop' usually implies it is: