Meaning & use
swing door
Last updated
Meaning
nouncountable
A door that can be pushed open in either direction and swings shut by itself.
Grammar: Countable: use a/an or the plural swing doors. It is often used in the plural for a pair of such doors.
Patterns
- a pair of swing doors
- through the swing doors
The waiter pushed through the swing doors into the kitchen.
A swing door at the end of the corridor opened both ways.
The hospital has swing doors so staff can move beds through easily.
Word forms
| plural | swing doors |
|---|
Common combinations
- push through a swing door
- She pushed through the swing door with both hands full.
- a pair of swing doors
- A pair of swing doors led from the dining room to the garden.
- swing door hinge
- The swing door hinge allows movement in both directions.
- double swing doors
- Double swing doors at the entrance keep the cold air out.
Synonyms and how they differ
- double-action door
- A more technical term for the same door; swing door is the everyday word.
- saloon door
- Usually refers to the swinging doors in a western bar; it is narrower in meaning than swing door.
Commonly confused: swing door or sliding door?
swing door vs sliding door
A sliding door moves sideways along a track; a swing door turns on hinges or a pivot.
Practice
The waiter pushed through the ______ into the kitchen.
Choose one answer.
A swing door is the one that opens both ways when you push it, which fits a waiter carrying food. A sliding door moves sideways and a revolving door turns in a circle, so they do not fit the image of pushing through.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “swing door”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.