doorstop

noun

door·​stop ˈdȯr-ˌstäp How to pronounce doorstop (audio)
1
: a usually rubber-tipped device attached to a wall or floor to prevent damaging contact between an opened door and the wall
2
: a device (such as a wedge or weight) for holding a door open

Examples of doorstop in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
My favorite contributions in this dense but rewarding doorstop are from Wright. Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 2 June 2025 Six dollars to replace doorstops; $1.50 to replace a light switch dial. Payton Guion, Charlotte Observer, 2 May 2022 Hadid shouts from the doorstop of a long, low house nestled into the surrounding hills. Chloe Schama, Vogue, 11 Mar. 2025 There are simpler works too, including a rug made of car mats by John Beech – a play on Carl Andre’s minimalist floor sculptures – and a group of 26 doorstops assembled by the same artist, gathered from the San Francisco Museum of Art and placed in a vitrine. Douglas Markowitz, Miami Herald, 6 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for doorstop

Word History

First Known Use

1878, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of doorstop was in 1878

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Cite this Entry

“Doorstop.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/doorstop. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.

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