door-to-door
UK[ˌdɔː tə ˈdɔː]US[ˌdɔːr tə ˈdɔːr]
adj
involving calls at each house or building in an area in order to sell something, collect information, etc.
adv
by going to each house or building in an area in turn.
Etymology
the phrase 'door-to-door' is a modern english compound formed by the reduplication of the noun 'door', connected by the preposition 'to'. the word 'door' itself has a deep history, tracing back to the proto-indo-european root 'dʰwer-', which referred to a doorway or gateway. this root gave rise to a vast family of words across many languages related to entrances, such as latin 'foris' (door) and greek 'thura' (door). the compound construction 'door-to-door' logically and vividly describes an activity that moves from one entrance to the next, sequentially covering all houses in an area. this spatial metaphor efficiently conveys the methodical, comprehensive nature of the service or action described.
Analysis
this is a compound phrase formed from the noun 'door' repeated with the preposition 'to' as a linking element. 'door' originates from old english 'duru' or 'dor', from proto-germanic 'durz', from pie 'dʰwer-', meaning 'doorway, gate'. the preposition 'to' comes from old english 'tō', from proto-germanic 'tō', from pie 'de', 'do', meaning 'to, toward'.
Examples
he worked as a door-to-door salesman for a vacuum cleaner company.
the charity conducted a door-to-door campaign to raise awareness.
the service offers door-to-door delivery for all packages.