portal

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. n. A doorway, entrance, or gate, especially one that is large and imposing.
2. n. An entrance or a means of entrance: the local library, a portal of knowledge.
3. n. The portal vein.
4. n. A website considered as an entry point to other websites, often by being or providing access to a search engine.
5. adj. Of or relating to the portal vein or the portal system.
6. adj. Of or relating to a point of entrance to an organ, especially the transverse fissure of the liver, through which the blood vessels enter.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. A door or gate; an entrance or opening for passage; specifically, the entire architectural treatment of the entrance and its surroundings of a great or splendid building, as a cathedral.
2. n. A square corner of a room separated from the rest by a wainscot, and forming a short passage or vestibule.
3. In anatomy: Pertaining to the hepatic porta, or great transverse fissure of the liver.
4. Pertaining to the vena portæ, or portal vein.
5. n. Same as portass.

Wiktionary

1. n. A grandiose and often lavish entrance.
2. n. An entrance, entry point, or means of entry.
3. n. Internet A website that acts as an entrance to other websites on the Internet.
4. n. anatomy A short vein that carries blood into the liver.
5. adj. anatomy Of or relating to a porta, especially the porta of the liver.

GNU Webster's 1913

1. n. A door or gate; hence, a way of entrance or exit, especially one that is grand and imposing.
2. n. The lesser gate, where there are two of different dimensions.
3. n. Formerly, a small square corner in a room separated from the rest of the apartment by wainscoting, forming a short passage to another apartment.
4. n. By analogy with the French portail, used by recent writers for the whole architectural composition which surrounds and includes the doorways and porches of a church.
5. n. (Bridge Building) The space, at one end, between opposite trusses when these are terminated by inclined braces.
6. n. obsolete A prayer book or breviary; a portass.
7. adj. (Anat.) Of or pertaining to a porta, especially the porta of the liver.

WordNet 3.0

1. n. a site that the owner positions as an entrance to other sites on the internet
2. n. a grand and imposing entrance (often extended metaphorically)
3. n. a short vein that carries blood into the liver