[por.tal] n [ME, fr. MF, fr. ML portale city gate, porch, fr. neut. of portalis of a gate, fr. L porta gate--more at port] (14c) 1: door, entrance; esp: a grand or imposing one
2: the whole architectural composition surrounding and including the doorways and porches of a church
3: the approach or entrance to a bridge or tunnel
4: a communicating part or area of an organism; specif: the point at which something (as a pathogen) enters the body
[2]portal adj [NL porta transverse fissure of the liver, fr. L, gate] (1845) 1: of or relating to the transverse fissure on the underside of the liver where most of the vessels enter
2: of, relating to, or being a portal vein