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port of entry

port of entry

14 4.4
A place like an airport or seaport where officers check people and goods entering a country
  • noun
  • /pɔrt əv ˈɛntri/
  • Formal
translation icon : punto de entrada
  • This port of entry is crucial for facilitating international trade and commerce between the two countries.
  • inspector at a port of entry
  • busy port of entry
  • major port of entry

Forcing them through the ports of entry, do better lawful pathways, right?

Examples

  • You still see a line of Mexicans at the U.S. port of entry waiting to visit Nogales, Arizona.

    Academic text (2011)
  • So we're gonna sail across from Suva, Fiji... to Port Moresby, which is the port of entry.

  • The gold stars identify the most likely ports of entry.

    Academic text (2001)
  • The main port of entry to and departure from Pakistan.

  • Application for admission as a business visitor must be made at a port of entry.

    Academic text (1990)
  • The need to move beyond old-fashioned border control becomes apparent when visiting a major port of entry.

    Academic text (2000)
  • Every day, more than 300,000 vehicles, roughly 2,500 aircraft, and nearly 600 ships pass through US ports of entry.

    Academic text (2004)
  • People and goods arrive daily at more than 3,700 terminals in 301 ports of entry.

    Academic text (2000)
  • The City of Tampa sits on the west-central side of Florida, a port of entry with an impressive harbor tucked along Tampa Bay.

    Academic text (2003)
  • We will be arriving at the port of entry, where customs officials will inspect our luggage.

Synonyms

port
vsport of entry
248 1.3

A place like a harbour where people and goods enter or leave a country

highlights official inspection and permission rather than just the location
point of entry
vsport of entry
6 4.1

An official place like an airport where people or goods enter a country and have customs and immigration checks

emphasizes authority checks and authorization for people and goods

Surface Forms

port of entry singular

Morphology

port + of + entry

The phrase is directly compositional: 'port' (a harbor/airport/harbour for entry) + 'of' + 'entry' (the act/place of entering) yields the meaning 'a place for entering a country'. This is a literal, cross-linguistically common noun-noun construction and would be understandable to a B1 learner who knows the constituents.

Etymology

Port of entry comes from the image of a port or airport where people and goods first make entry into a country and officials check passports and cargo. So, it now means the place where people or things are allowed to 'enter a country'.