welcome mat
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English
[edit]Noun
[edit]![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6f/Welcome_mat_Traditional_Chinese.jpg/220px-Welcome_mat_Traditional_Chinese.jpg)
welcome mat (plural welcome mats)
- A doormat with a welcoming message on it.
- (figurative, by extension) Any sign or indication of welcome.
Usage notes
[edit]- The figurative sense is often used in an extended metaphor, with reference to a real mat: thus, to "put out or roll out or throw out the welcome mat" is to offer a welcome.