Doorstop

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A device employed to block a door from closing fully or to hold it open sufficiently
2. An item utilized to keep a door in a stationary position by preventing its movement
3. An object placed under or alongside a door to hold it open or stop it from shutting

Etymology: "Doorstop" is a plain compound: "door" joined to "stop," with the "stop" meaning a device that halts movement. The word describes exactly what the object does, which is why it needed no special coinage. The "stop" element traces back to Old French "estopper," meaning to stop up or plug, from Late Latin "stuppare," to stuff with tow or oakum, and English has used "stop" in this sense since the Middle Ages. Combining it with "door" simply named a wedge or weight that blocks a door from closing or swinging.

Synonyms: wedge, stopper