n.
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English porte, from Anglo-French, gate, door, from Latin porta passage, gate; akin to Latin portus port
Date: before 12th century
1 chiefly Scottish : GATE
2 a : an opening (as in a valve seat or valve face) for intake or exhaust of a fluid b : the area of opening in a cylinder face of a passageway for the working fluid in an engine also : such a passageway c : a small opening in a container or vessel especially for viewing or for the controlled passage of material <access port >
3 a : an opening in a vessel's side (as for admitting light or loading cargo) b archaic : the cover for a porthole
4 : a hole in an armored vehicle or fortification through which guns may be fired
5 : a hardware interface by which a computer is connected to another device (as a printer, a mouse, or another computer) broadly : JACK 8