Portal

[pawr-tl, pohr-] /ˈpɔr tl, ˈpoʊr-/

noun
1.
a door, gate, or entrance, especially one of imposing appearance, as to a palace.
2.
an iron or steel bent for bracing a framed structure, having curved braces between the vertical members and a horizontal member at the top.
3.
an entrance to a tunnel or mine.
4.
Computers. a website that functions as an entry point to the Internet, as by providing useful content and linking to various sites and features on the World Wide Web.
[pawr-tl, pohr-] /ˈpɔr tl, ˈpoʊr-/ Anatomy
adjective
1.
noting or pertaining to the transverse fissure of the liver.
noun
2.
.
/ˈpɔːtəl/
noun
1.
an entrance, gateway, or doorway, esp one that is large and impressive
2.
any entrance or access to a place
3.
(computing) an internet site providing links to other sites
adjective
4.
(anatomy)

n.

late 14c., “gate, gateway,” from Old French portal “gate” (Modern French portail) and directly from Medieval Latin portale “city gate, porch,” from neuter of portalis (adj.) “of a gate,” from Latin porta “gate” (see port (n.1)).

portal por·tal (pôr’tl)
adj.

n.

A Web site that provides a gateway to other Web sites.

Process-Oriented Real-Time Algorithmic Language.
[“PORTAL – A Pascal-based Real-Time Programming Language”, R. Schild in Algorithmic Languages, J.W. deBakker et al eds, N-H 1981].
World-Wide Web
A website that aims to be an entry point to the World-Wide Web, typically offering a search engine and/or links to useful pages, and possibly news or other services. These services are usually provided for free in the hope that users will make the site their default home page or at least visit it often. Popular examples are Yahoo and MSN. Most portals on the Internet exist to generate advertising income for their owners, others may be focused on a specific group of users and may be part of an intranet or extranet. Some may just concentrate on one particular subject, say technology or medicine, and are known as a vertical portals.
(2001-07-07)