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Let's say smoke is escaping through a close door. It would be escaping through the space between the door and the floor or the wall, or perhaps between door and the jamb. Is there a term for that? Or is there an expression for that (perhaps: smoke seeping through the door? but that would suggest that it goes through door, rather than the space between the door and the floor or jamb).

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  • As you say, smoke does not seep through the door. It seeps through the doorway. And it seeps because the door itself is closed. If it were open, then smoke would pour or billow through the doorway.
    – Weather Vane
    Commented Aug 9, 2020 at 20:07
  • @WeatherVane Yes, but despite the door being closed, the smoke still escapes through the gaps, because the door is not airtight. Is there an expression for that?
    – gruszczy
    Commented Aug 9, 2020 at 20:39
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    In contradiction to an earlier comment, I would completely understand what smoke coming through the door meant. It's used on a fairly regular basis, in my experience. It's not literally true, but that doesn't matter.
    – Jason Bassford
    Commented Aug 9, 2020 at 21:52

2 Answers 2

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Door gap is the general name for all of the gaps around the door.

The best method for measuring door gap dimensions is to use a tool of the appropriate thickness that can be inserted between the door frame and door, the door and the floor, and between opposing vertical edges (aka, meeting stiles) of paired doors. (Doorgapgauge.com, emphasis added)

At idighardware.com, the sdi fact file is quoted, calling the gap at the floor

FLOOR CLEARANCE: The distance between the bottom of the door and the top of the material directly below the door. This varies with applications, such as concrete, any floor covering and/or a threshold. floor clearance

This gap is also called bottom clearance, and the top gap is called head clearance, while the side gaps are called stile clearances at taylordoors.com.

To class them all together, you could say "The smoke is seeping through the door gaps."

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    I have no idea why someone downvoted your answer. Door gap and door clearance are just right. +1
    – Richard Kayser
    Commented Aug 9, 2020 at 22:13
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    Consider crack.
    – Xanne
    Commented Aug 9, 2020 at 22:19
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I can't find anything shorter than a long phrase:

  • smoke stream/ing/ed/ in through the chinks of the door where it meets the frame.
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