portcullis

Reading level: hard

Estimated CEFR level: C2 — Proficiency

Estimated from word frequency; not an official CEFR classification.

Definition

noun gate consisting of an iron or wooden grating that hangs in the entry to a castle or fortified town; can be lowered to prevent passage

From Middle English portcolyse, from Old French porte colëice, from porte (“door”) + feminine of colëiz (“sliding”), ultimately from Latin colāre.

The second portcullis is broken. — She who sleeps : $b A romance of New York and the Nile, Sax Rohmer
Beyond the portcullis a dim door swung open. — Humorous Ghost Stories, Dorothy Scarborough
Down goes the portcullis before the hero's charge. — The Passionate Elopement, Compton MacKenzie

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