noun
threshold
THREH-shohld
noun
1
The strip or slab at the bottom of a doorway that you step over to enter.
"She wiped her boots on the mat before crossing the threshold."
"He carried his bride over the threshold."
2
The point at which something begins, or the level at which an effect kicks in.
"The company is on the threshold of a major breakthrough."
"Once the noise passes a certain threshold, the alarm triggers automatically."
3
The income level at which you start paying a particular rate of tax.
"Her raise pushed her just over the higher tax threshold."
How to Use Threshold
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishEither the literal bottom of a doorway, or, more often now, the point at which something starts or a limit gets triggered.
Common mistake
Many people say "thresh-hold" — this comes from confusion with "hold," but the correct pronunciation and spelling both come from "thresh."
Common pairings
on the threshold of
pain threshold
tax threshold
cross the threshold
Word Forms
thresholds plural
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She wiped her boots on the mat before crossing the _____.
Etymology
From Old English þresċold, "doorsill" — related to thresh (to beat grain), since a threshold was once literally the beaten, trodden strip of floor at a doorway.