Meaning
hatch, small door
- a small door, opening, or hatch on a vehicle, aircraft, or vessel
- an access flap or inspection door on machinery
In a sentence
Il personale di bordo ha chiuso il portello prima del decollo.
The cabin crew closed the hatch before takeoff.
È vietato toccare il portello di emergenza senza autorizzazione.
It is forbidden to touch the emergency hatch without authorization.
L'astronauta aprì con cautela il portello della navetta.
The astronaut cautiously opened the shuttle's hatch.
Word forms (2)
| Word | Word forms |
|---|---|
| portello | masculine · singular |
| portelli | masculine · plural |
Usage notes
- Standard term for the passenger and emergency doors of airplanes ('portellone' for larger doors).
- Diminutive in origin from 'porta', now lexicalized as an independent technical noun.