threshold
Pronunciation: /ˈθrɛʃəʊld, ˈθrɛʃˌhəʊld/
noun
- 1a strip of wood or stone forming the bottom of a doorway and crossed in entering a house or room: he stood on the threshold of Sheila’s bedroom
-
- the beginning of an airport runway on which an aircraft is attempting to land.
- 2the magnitude or intensity that must be exceeded for a certain reaction, phenomenon, result, or condition to occur or be manifested: nothing happens until the signal passes the threshold
- the maximum level of radiation or a concentration of a substance considered to be acceptable or safe: their water would meet the safety threshold of 50 milligrams of nitrates per litre
- the level at which one starts to feel or react to something: he has a low boredom threshold
- a level, rate, or amount at which something comes into effect: the inheritance tax threshold
Origin:
Old English therscold, threscold; related to German dialect Drischaufel; the first element is related to thresh (in a Germanic sense 'tread'), but the origin of the second element is unknown
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