portal

¹por·tal

noun \ˈpȯr-t^əl\

Definition of PORTAL

1

: door, entrance; especially : a grand or imposing one

2

: the whole architectural composition surrounding and including the doorways and porches of a church

3

: the approach or entrance to a bridge or tunnel

4

: a communicating part or area of an organism; specifically : the point at which something (as a pathogen) enters the body

5

: a site serving as a guide or point of entry to the World Wide Web and usually including a search engine or a collection of links to other sites arranged especially by topic

Examples of PORTAL

1. a Web portal for baseball fans
2. <the main portal to the estate is an elaborate wrought iron gate on the side facing the road>

Origin of PORTAL

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Medieval Latin portale city gate, porch, from neuter of portalis of a gate, from Latin porta gate — more at port

First Known Use: 14th century

Related to PORTAL

Synonyms: gate, hatch, door

Related Words: double door, Dutch door, French door, lattice, portcullis, postern, revolving door, storm door, trapdoor, wicket

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Other Architecture Terms

buttress, casita, cornice, fanlight, garret, lintel, parapet, pilaster, plinth

Rhymes with PORTAL

chortle, mortal