Crossword clues for portiere
The Collaborative International Dictionary
Portiere \Por`ti[`e]re""\, n. [F., fr. porte gate, door. See Port a gate.] A curtain hanging across a doorway.
Douglas Harper's Etymology Dictionary
door curtain, 1843, from French portière, from Medieval Latin portaria, fem. singular of Latin portarius "belonging to a door or gate" (see porter (n.2)).
Wiktionary
n. (alternative spelling of portière English)
n. 1 A car door. 2 A hanging, such as a heavy curtain, placed over a door or doorway; a door curtain.
WordNet
n. a heavy curtain hung across a doorway
Wikipedia
A portière is a hanging curtain placed over a door or over the doorless entrance to a room. Its name is derived from the French word for door, porte. From Asia, it came to Europe at a remote date. It is known to have been in use in Europe in the 4th century, and was probably introduced much earlier. Like so many other domestic plenishings, it reached England by way of France, where it appears to have been originally called rideau de Porte (literally, "door curtain").
Common in wealthier households during the Victorian era, it is still occasionally used either as an ornament or as a means of mitigating draughts. It is usually of some heavy material, such as velvet, brocade, or plush, and is often fixed upon a brass arm, moving in a socket with the opening and closing of the door.
In Margaret Mitchell's novel Gone with the Wind, the protagonist Scarlett O'Hara makes a new dress from her mother's green velvet window curtains. In the book, Mitchell correctly uses the word curtain, however, the term portière is used incorrectly in the movie adaptation by both Scarlett and Mammy: the characters are talking about green velvet window curtains, whereas portieres are so named because they hang in doorways. This usage may have reflected that of WW civil defense instructions, which referred to window blackout coverings as "portieres" (see articles on "civil defense" (Encyclopaedia Britannica Nook of the Year, 1941–1945). The scene was famously parodied on The Carol Burnett Show when Carol Burnett, playing the role of Starlet, wore not only the fabric but the curtain rod as well).
Usage examples of "portiere".
So now as he stood rubbing his hands it was in the absolute certainty that in just a few more seconds one of the footmen would appear between the tapestry portieres bearing aloft a silver tray with the tea things, and then Bibby would come in with the paper, and presently Mrs.
In fondo a un atrio tutto marmi e indorature sedeva un portiere in uniforme, che salutò i detective e fornì loro una serie di passe-partout.
She said nothing, and after a glance toward the regions where Penelope might conjecturably be lingering, he held aside the portiere for the Laphams to pass, and entered the room with them.
Brocade portieres and rich Colonial blue for the walls in the parlor.
Snitkin jerked his thumb toward a pair of heavy tapestry portières at the rear of the hall.
The portières of the drawing-room had been left parted, and suddenly we heard rapid footsteps on the stairs.
May led Archer into the old lady's sitting-room, where the sliding doors opening into the bedroom had been drawn shut, and the heavy yellow damask portières dropped over them.
The spotlight in the hands of a shadowy figure roves across the wall and to the portieres.
Taking one of the little animals and segregating him from the others, he prepared to inoculate him with a tiny bit of the solution made from the stain on the piece cut from the portiere.