door handle

noun

, Chiefly British.

1. doorknob.

Word History and Origins

Origin of door handle¹

First recorded in 1825–35

Example Sentences

A brown bear — and there hasn’t been one of those in Southern California for more than a century — breaks into a 2010 Rolls Royce Ghost, seemingly using the door handle.

From Los Angeles Times

He was contaminated after the nerve agent was smeared on former Russian spy Mr Skripal’s door handle in Salisbury in March 2018.

From BBC

Former President Donald Trump's cosplay as a garbage truck driver nearly met with disaster after he appeared to miss the door handle on the vehicle's passenger side and nearly lost his footing.

From Salon

Another, NX109, got the finger of his glove caught in the Audi's door handle and just managed to wrench it free as it moved forward, telling the jury he thought he would be dragged between it and a Tesla parked nearby.

From BBC

Mr Skripal and his daughter Yulia were seriously injured when members of a Russian military intelligence squad are believed to have smeared the nerve agent on his door handle.

From BBC

More About Door Handle

What is a door handle?

A door handle is the handle used to open and close a door.

Sometimes, it means the same thing as doorknob. But the word doorknob most often specifically refers to a handle shaped like a knob—a part that sticks out and has a rounded end. Door handles in other shapes might be called doorknobs, but it’s more likely for them to be called door handles or just handles.

Another difference is that doorknobs typically turn. Door handles can turn, but they can also be fixed in place, like a vertical or horizontal bar.

The term door handle can also refer to the one that’s used to open a car door.

Example: I went to open the door and the door handle pulled right off—apparently its screws had gotten loose.

Where does door handle come from?

The first records of the term door handle come from around 1830. The word doorknob is first recorded soon after, around the 1840s.

Door handles on the doors inside a home, like on a bathroom or a closet, often jut out from the door to allow for easy grabbing and turning. They’re such a common part of daily life that we often don’t notice them or think about them—unless they break.

Did you know ... ?

What are some synonyms for door handle?

• handle
• doorknob

What are some words that share a root or word element with door handle? 

 

• door
• handle
• doorknock
• doorjamb

What are some words that often get used in discussing door handle?

 

• door
• doorframe
• doorjamb
• turn
• pull
• open
• close
• keyhole
• lock

How is door handle used in real life?

If a door handle has a rounded end that turns, it’s more likely to be called a doorknob.

anyway look at this really nice door handle 😁 pic.twitter.com/iYgHnGWdSk

— z 🦋 (@TOSHISMASH) December 3, 2020

I mean how many times can you catch your pocket on a door handle? A million it’s at least a million!

— Neil Friday McGourty (@Mcgourty22N) December 7, 2020

The door handle on my car just broke :) pic.twitter.com/bQEINJu4fP

— sir snaccsalot (@eileamkeam) December 9, 2020

 

Try using door handle!

Is door handle used correctly in the following sentence?

I was trapped in the room after the door handle broke off the door.