portal

¹

[ pawr-tl, pohr- ]

noun

1. a door, gate, or entrance, especially one of imposing appearance, as to a palace.

   Synonyms: threshold, entry, doorway, entranceway

2. an iron or steel bent for bracing a framed structure, having curved braces between the vertical members and a horizontal member at the top.
3. an entrance to a tunnel or mine.
4. Computers. a website that functions as an entry point to the internet, as by providing useful content and linking to various sites and features on the World Wide Web.

portal

²

[ pawr-tl, pohr- ]

adjective

1. noting or pertaining to the transverse fissure of the liver.

noun

1. portal vein.

portal

/ ˈpɔːtəl /

noun

1. an entrance, gateway, or doorway, esp one that is large and impressive
2. any entrance or access to a place
3. computing an internet site providing links to other sites

adjective

1. anatomy
   1. of or relating to a portal vein

      hepatic portal system

   2. of or relating to a porta

portal

1. A Web site that provides a gateway to other Web sites.

Other Words From

• portaled portalled adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of portal¹

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English portale, from Medieval Latin, noun use of neuter of portālis “of a gate.” See portal ²

Origin of portal²

First recorded in 1605–15, portal is from the Medieval Latin word portālis of a gate. See port ⁴, -al ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of portal¹

C14: via Old French from Medieval Latin portāle, from Latin porta gate, entrance

Example Sentences

The industry’s dominant web browser — it controls about 61 percent of the U.S. market, according to Bloomberg — is a potent data-collection portal, steering people to the company’s search engine.

From New York Times

They have told Wall Street analysts that Fox Nation could eventually be the direct-to-consumer streaming portal that brings viewers Fox News content in the future.

From Los Angeles Times

The county’s public-facing transparency portal provides a snapshot of the system.

From Los Angeles Times

They could also turn to the transfer portal, which has become an increasingly large part of their recruiting strategy thanks to what Cronin described as exponential growth in name, image and likeness funding.

From Los Angeles Times

It is easy to check whether a refund is owed by logging on to the government's Student Loan Company portal, where individual refunds could range from tens of pounds to more than £1,000.

From BBC