different between threshold vs portcullis

English

Etymology

From Middle English threschwolde, threscholde, from Old English þres?old, þerxold, þrexwold (“doorsill, entryway”), from Proto-Germanic *þreskudlaz, *þresk?þlijaz, *þreskwaþluz, from Proto-Germanic *þreskan?, *þreskwan? (“to thresh”), from Proto-Indo-European *terh?- (“to rub, turn”). Cognate with Low German Drüssel (“threshold”), dialectal German Drischaufel, Drissufle, Trüschübel (“threshold”), Danish tærskel (“threshold”), Swedish tröskel (“threshold”), dialectal Swedish träskvald (“threshold”), Icelandic þröskuldur (“threshold”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /???e?(h)??ld/
• (US) IPA^(key): /?????(h)o?ld/

Noun

threshold (plural thresholds)

1. The bottom-most part of a doorway that one crosses to enter; a sill.
2. (by extension) An entrance; the door or gate of a house.
3. (by extension) Any end or boundary.
4. (figuratively) The outset of something; the point of entry, or the beginning of an action.
   • 1927-29, M.K. Gandhi, The Story of My Experiments with Truth, translated 1940 by Mahadev Desai, Part I, Chapter xi:

     I arrived at last, did obeisance to my uncle, and told him everything. He thought it over and said: ' […] At the threshold of death, how dare I give you permission to go to England, to cross the seas? But I will not stand in your way. It is your mother's permission which really matters. If she permit you, then godspeed! Tell her I will not interfere. You will go with my blessings.'

5. (aviation) The start of the landing area of a runway.
6. (engineering) The quantitative point at which an action is triggered, especially a lower limit.
7. The wage or salary at which income tax becomes due.
8. The point where one mentally or physically is vulnerable in response to provocation or to particular things in general. As in emotions, stress, or pain.

Derived terms

• thresholding
• thresholdless
• thresholdlike

(Expressions:)

• displaced threshold
• Micawber threshold
• threshold braking
• threshold effect
• threshold potential
• threshold worker

Antonyms

• (bottom-most part of a doorway): lintel

Translations

English

Alternative forms

• portclose (archaic)
• portcluse (obsolete)
• portculis (rare)
• portculleis (archaic)
• portculles (archaic)
• port cullis, port-cullis (archaic)
• portecullis, porte-cullis (rare)

Etymology

From Middle English portcolyse, from Anglo-Norman porte coliz and Old French porte couleice, from porte (“door”) + feminine of couleis (“sliding”), from couler (“to flow”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /p??t?k?l?s/

Noun

portcullis (plural portcullises or portcullisses or (rare) portscullis)

1. A gate in the form of a grating which is lowered into place at the entrance to a castle, fort, etc.
2. (historical) An English coin of the reign of Elizabeth I, struck for the use of the East India Company, and bearing the figure of a portcullis on the reverse.

Translations

Verb

portcullis (third-person singular simple present portcullises, present participle portcullising, simple past and past participle portcullised)

1. To obstruct with, or as with, a portcullis; to shut; to bar.
   • 1597, William Shakespeare, Richard II

     ...Within my mouth you have engaol'd my tongue / Doubly portcullis'd with my teeth and lips...

Further reading

• portcullis on Wikipedia.Wikipedia