threshold
When referring to a doorway, it is almost always used as a countable noun (e.g., "the threshold"). In scientific or medical contexts, such as discussing pain or sound, it refers to a specific limit that triggers a response. When used metaphorically to describe the start of something new, it is commonly paired with the preposition "on" (e.g., "on the threshold of discovery").
💬Casual Conversation
KAREN THE FRONT DOOR THRESHOLD IS ROTTING. FIX IT.
I'm totally swamped with the gala, Eleanor. Just let it go.
Meanings
The strip of wood or stone forming the bottom of a doorway that one steps over when entering a building or room.
"He paused for a moment on the threshold before stepping into the house."
The magnitude or intensity that must be exceeded for a certain reaction, phenomenon, or condition to occur.
"The patient has a very high pain threshold and barely reacted to the needle."
The starting point of a new experience, era, or stage of development.
"With the discovery of the new vaccine, we are on the threshold of a medical revolution."