porte cochere

(French: “coach door”) Passageway through a building, or gateway in an outer wall, designed to let vehicles pass from the street to an interior courtyard. Such gateways are common features of homes and palaces built in the grand style of Louis XIV and Louis XV. The term also applies to a roofed structure extending from the entrance of a building over an adjacent driveway.

Find more information on porte cochere. Upgrade to Britannica Online for more on porte cochere.