threshold Meaning & Definition
What Does Threshold Mean?
Threshold is used as a noun meaning The lowermost part of a doorway that one crosses to enter; a sill. It can also mean An entrance; the door or gate of a house.
Threshold: Key Facts
| Part of speech | noun |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation | //ˈθɹɛʃəʊld// |
| Syllables | 1 |
| Synonyms | verge, limen and brink |
| Antonyms | lintel |
| Plural | thresholds |
Threshold Definition (Noun)
- The lowermost part of a doorway that one crosses to enter; a sill.
- An entrance; the door or gate of a house.
- Any end or boundary.
- The outset of something; the point of entry, or the beginning of an action.
on the threshold of maturity
- The start of the landing area of a runway.
- The quantitative point at which an action is triggered, especially a lower limit.
- The wage or salary at which income tax becomes due.
- The point where one is mentally or physically vulnerable in response to a provocation or to other nuisances.
Noun
- The bottom-most part of a doorway that one crosses to enter; a sill.
- (by extension) An entrance; the door or gate of a house.
- (by extension) Any end or boundary.
- 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.
Synonyms of Threshold
Threshold synonyms and antonyms →Antonyms of Threshold
Threshold in a Sentence
on the threshold of maturity
Word Forms & Grammar
threshold (plural thresholds)
Words That Rhyme With Threshold
Origin of Threshold
Origin 1: From Middle English threschwolde, threscholde, from Old English þresċold, þerxold, þrexwold (“doorsill, entryway”), from Proto-Germanic *þreskudlaz, *þreskūþlijaz, *þreskwaþluz, from Proto-Germanic *þreskaną, *þreskwaną (“to thresh, (originally) to tread”),[1] from Proto-Indo-European *terh₁- (“to rub, turn”).
Origin 2: Cognate with Low German Drüssel (“threshold”), dialectal German Drischaufel, Drissufle, Trüschübel (“threshold”), Danish tærskel (“threshold”), Norwegian Bokmål terskel (“threshold”), Norwegian Nynorsk treskald (“threshold”), Swedish tröskel (“threshold”), dialectal Swedish träskvald (“threshold”), Icelandic þröskuldur (“threshold”).
Origin 3: Pronunciations such as “thresh-hold” are un-etymological and result from analogy with hold.
Threshold Pronunciation
Threshold is pronounced //ˈθɹɛʃəʊld// and has 1 syllable.
Common Questions About Threshold
What part of speech is threshold?
Threshold is a noun.
What is another word for threshold?
Words with a similar meaning to threshold include verge, limen and brink. See the full list of threshold synonyms and antonyms.
What is the opposite of threshold?
The opposite of threshold is lintel.
What is the plural of threshold?
The plural of threshold is thresholds.