portico

noun

por·​ti·​co ˈpȯr-ti-ˌkō 

plural porticoes or porticos

: a colonnade or covered ambulatory especially in classical architecture and often at the entrance of a building

Illustration of portico

Examples of portico in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The Jason Hargrove Transit Center is part of a $31 million redevelopment of a 52,000 square feet former Dairy Cattle Barn, restored portico and an outdoor space, according to the city. —Nushrat Rahman, Detroit Free Press, 10 May 2024

Whitehouse Farm stood in open fields, facing the bleak Essex salt marshes, its columned portico lit by the moon. —Heidi Blake, The New Yorker, 29 July 2024

But once construction is complete on the valet portico, likely in mid-October, Nobu will have an all-ages entrance, as well. —Chelsea Brasted, Axios, 3 Sep. 2024

The journey is accessed through a route along twenty-three porticoes (portici, in Italian), arcades that serve as the entrance to each region. —Irene S. Levine, Forbes, 6 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Italian, from Latin porticus — more at porch

First Known Use

1607, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

portico

noun

por·​ti·​co ˈpōrt-i-ˌkō 

ˈpȯrt-

plural porticoes or porticos

: a row of columns supporting a roof at the entrance of a building