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Threshold Common

Threshold has 6 different meanings across 1 category:

Noun

Definitions
Noun
1

the starting point for a new state or experience

"on the threshold of manhood"

2

the smallest detectable sensation

"The new sound system is so sensitive that it can pick up whispers below the threshold of human hearing."

3

the entrance (the space in a wall) through which you enter or leave a room or building; the space that a door can close

"he stuck his head in the doorway"

4

the sill of a door; a horizontal piece of wood or stone that forms the bottom of a doorway and offers support when passing through a doorway

"The carpenter carefully leveled the wooden threshold before installing the new front door."

5

a region marking a boundary

"The storm clouds gathered at the threshold of the valley, signaling that summer was finally over."

6

The bottom-most part of a doorway that one crosses to enter; a sill.

"She kicked off her shoes and stepped over the threshold to finally leave the cold rain behind."

In plain English: A threshold is the lowest level needed to start something or trigger a specific result.

"The new puppy was too excited to stay on his owner's side of the threshold."

Usage: Use threshold when referring specifically to the physical strip at the base of a doorframe, rather than general floor areas or other parts of the entryway. This word is often confused with "sill," but they are interchangeable in this context as both describe the bottom edge one steps over to enter.

Example Sentences
"The new puppy was too excited to stay on his owner's side of the threshold." noun
"The threshold of the front door was made of polished stone." noun
"He stood at the financial threshold of buying his first house." noun
"Crossing the age threshold qualified her for the senior discount." noun
See Also
subperceptual subsensory mentally pain qualified majority subauditory bithreshold thresholdless
Related Terms
Broader Terms (hypernyms)
beginning sensation entrance sill boundary
Narrower Terms (hyponyms)
absolute threshold difference threshold exterior door

Origin

The word threshold comes from Old English words meaning "doorsill" or "entryway." Its name originally referred to the act of treading on grain while threshing it.

Rhyming Words
old mold dold yold sold bold gold wold fold told rold cold 2 old efold woold ahold scold 3 old acold 4 old
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