New York meaning
stoop
The small steps or platform at the entrance of a city row house or apartment building.
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Meaning
A stoop is the entrance steps and often the small landing in front of a building. In New York, especially in brownstone neighborhoods, the stoop is also a familiar social space where residents sit, talk, watch the street, or gather informally.
Pronunciation and grammar
/stuːp/ · noun
Everyday architectural and neighborhood vocabulary.
How it is used
The word can describe the physical structure or the social setting around it. Sitting on the stoop suggests a recognizable form of neighborhood street life rather than merely standing on stairs.
Examples
Local: We sat on the stoop and talked until dinner.
Plain English: We sat on the front steps and talked until dinner.
Local: Leave the package inside the stoop gate.
Plain English: Leave the package inside the gate by the entrance steps.
Important context
A stoop is usually attached to a building entrance. It is not a general word for any outdoor staircase.