death door

English

Etymology

death +‎ door from being a door used for the dead

Noun

death door (plural death doors)

(US, architecture) a door to the outside from the parlor or hall to allow for the movement of the dead; from the time when the wealthy would host their wakes and funerals in their own homes. It is a supplementary door to the main doors of the home, unconnected from exterior stairs or walkways. The death door existed to allow for the dead to move through doors without needing to use the doorways used by the living.

Coordinate terms

funeral door (a door to the parlor for use by caskets)

This article is issued from Wiktionary. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.