umbral

threshold

noun oom-BRAHL Less Common

Origin: From Latin liminare via Mozarabic, though the exact chain is debated.

Also means

doorstep

Usage Note

Umbral is both the literal bottom of a doorframe and a figurative threshold or limit (umbral de pobreza, poverty threshold; umbral del dolor, pain threshold). It is a formal/literary word; in everyday speech speakers often say la puerta or simply describe the limit with límite.

Examples

"Se detuvo en el umbral de la puerta."

Natural Translation

She stopped at the threshold of the door.

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