Dictionary Definition
porch n : a structure attached to the exterior of
a building often forming a covered entrance
User Contributed Dictionary
English
Noun
- A covered and inclosed entrance to a building, whether taken from the interior, and forming a sort of vestibule within the main wall, or projecting without and with a separate roof. Sometimes the porch is large enough to serve as a covered walk.
- A portico; a covered walk.
Translations
A portico; a covered walk.
See also
Extensive Definition
A porch is a structure attached to a building,
forming a covered entrance to a vestibule or doorway. It is
external to the walls of the main building proper, but may be
enclosed by screen, latticework, broad windows,
or other light frame walls extending from the main structure.
There are various styles of porches, all of which
depend on the architectural tradition of its location. All porches
will allow for sufficient space for a person to comfortably pause
before entering or after exiting the building. However, they may be
larger. Verandahs, for
example, are usually quite large and may encompass the entire
facade as well as the
sides of a structure. At the other extreme, the
Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island, Michigan has the longest porch
in the world at some 660 feet
in length.
North America and Britain
In Britain and New England the porch is typically a small vestibule where wet/muddy clothing can be removed before entering the main house. This is often called a mudroom in New England. In the western United States US, ranch style homes often use a covered porch to provide shade for the entrance and southern wall of the residence. In the southern United States and Southern Ontario, Canada, a porch is often as broad as it is deep, and may provide sufficient space for residents to entertain guests or gather on special occasions. However, many American homes built since the 1940s with a porch only have a token one, too small for comfortable social use and adding only to the visual impression of the building. The New Urbanism movement in architecture urges a reversal in this trend, recommending a large porch facing the street, to help build community ties.When covered, a porch not only provides
protection from sun or rain but may also form, in effect, an extra
exterior room that may accommodate chairs, tables and other
furniture, to be used as living space. Screens are often used in
some areas to exclude flying insects.
Porches typically are architecturally unified
with the rest of the house, using similar design elements as the
rest of the structure, and may be integrated into the roofline or
upper stories.
India
In India a porch is an important part of Hindu temple architecture. Porches and verandahs are popular elements of homes as well.See also
Footnotes
porch in German: Terrasse (Gebäude)
porch in French: Porche
porch in Italian: Portico
porch in Dutch: Portiek
porch in Dutch Low Saxon: Pertiek
porch in Norwegian: Terrasse
porch in Polish: Ganek (architektura)
porch in Portuguese: Alpendre
porch in Swedish: Terrass
porch in Turkish: Sundurma
Synonyms, Antonyms and Related Words
Easter sepulcher, French door, ambry, apse, archway, back door, baptistery, barway, blindstory, bulkhead, carriage entrance,
cellar door, cellarway, chancel, choir, cloisters, confessional, confessionary, crypt, diaconicon, diaconicum, door, doorjamb, doorpost, doorway, front door, gallery, gate, gatepost, gateway, hatch, hatchway, lanai, lintel, nave, patio, piazza, portal, porte cochere, postern, presbytery, propylaeum, pylon, rood loft, rood stair, rood
tower, sacrarium,
sacristy, scuttle, side door, sleeping
porch, solarium,
stile, stoop, storm door, sun porch,
threshold, tollgate, transept, trap, trap door, triforium, turnpike, turnstile, veranda, vestry