door handle

American  

noun

Chiefly British.

• door handles
  plural

1. doorknob.

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Usage

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.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• door handles
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of door handle

First recorded in 1825–35

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

door handle

He also noted that the sink had been smashed and that the inside door handle and spindle were on the floor of the bathroom.

From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026

He noted that the floor mat in the hall was sodden and that the door handle of the bathroom was on the floor in the hall.

From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026

She said one pulled on the door handle and pounded on her window, while the other two approached and took their phones out.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026

For vehicle models already approved and nearing launch, carmakers must change the door handle design by January 2029, the Chinese regulators said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 3, 2026

She pulls on the door handle to show me.

From "Al Capone Does My Shirts" by Gennifer Choldenko

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