porte cochere

noun

porte co·​chere ˌpȯrt-kō-ˈsher 

1

: a passageway through a building or screen wall designed to let vehicles pass from the street to an interior courtyard

2

: a roofed structure extending from the entrance of a building over an adjacent driveway and sheltering those getting in or out of vehicles

Examples of porte cochere in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The porte cochere leads to an underground garage — a bonus for wealthy residents worried about their security for the same reasons that the characters in both films are. —Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 4 Sep. 2025

Patients access the complex — created by merging a former law office, funeral home, car dealership and Dunkin’ Donuts — by driving around back where a porte cochere leads into a soaring atrium. —T. Christian Miller, ProPublica, 12 Apr. 2025

Sitting on ocean cliffs, Ocean House is fronted by a porte cochere that leads into a double-height lobby finished with limestone and oak millwork. —Tori Latham, Robb Report, 10 Apr. 2025

This starts with the private porte cochere, which serves as a peaceful transition point between Midtown and the world of the building. —Jessica Cherner, Architectural Digest, 5 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

French porte cochère, literally, coach door

First Known Use

1698, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for porte cochere

• charioteer
• adhere
• ameer
• amir
• appear
• arrear
• astir
• austere
• career
• cashier
• cohere
• compere