makeshift doorstop
- noun
- /ˈmeɪkʃɪft ˈdɔrstɒp/
:
tope de puerta improvisado
- Without a proper wedge, she used her bag as a makeshift doorstop to keep the door open.
Examples
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He grabbed a book to use as a makeshift doorstop during the meeting.
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An empty paint can served well enough as a makeshift doorstop in the workshop.
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He used a book as a makeshift doorstop.
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The makeshift doorstop held the door open all day.
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An empty paint can served well enough as a makeshift doorstop in the workshop.
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He grabbed a book to use as a makeshift doorstop during the meeting.
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Without a proper wedge, she used her bag as a makeshift doorstop to keep the door open.
Synonyms
9
2.3
A small object placed on the floor to stop a door from closing
An object that you put on the floor to hold a door open
How Improvised
9
2.3
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase is a straightforward adjective + noun composition: 'makeshift' (improvised/temporary) modifies 'doorstop' (a device that stops a door), so the combined meaning is directly derivable as an improvised device used to hold/stop a door. This follows common compounding patterns found across languages, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will readily understand it.
Etymology
Makeshift doorstop mixes makeshift, meaning something made quickly, and doorstop, meaning an object that stops a door. People often use a book, can, or bag as a quick makeshift doorstop, so the phrase means 'a temporary object used to hold a door open or stop it from closing'.