TOP

Definition of portcullis noun from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

portcullis

noun
 
/pɔːtˈkʌlɪs/
 
/pɔːrtˈkʌlɪs/
jump to other results
  1. a strong, heavy iron gate that can be raised or let down at the entrance to a castle
    Word OriginMiddle English: from Old French porte coleice ‘sliding door’, from porte ‘door’ (from Latin porta) + coleice ‘sliding’ (feminine of couleis, from Latin colare ‘to filter’).
See portcullis in the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary
Check pronunciation: portcullis

Nearby words

trait
noun
 
 
From the Word list
Oxford 5000
B2
Oxford Learner's Dictionaries Word of the Day