Adjacent Words

Porter definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

PORTER, n. [L. porta, a gate.]
1. A man that has the charge of a door or gate; a door-keeper.
2. One that waits at the door to receive messages.
3. [L. porto.] A carrier; a person who carries or conveys burdens for hire.
4. A malt liquor which differs from ale and pale beer, in being made with high dried malt.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: a person employed to carry luggage and supplies
2: someone who guards an entrance [syn: doorkeeper, doorman, door guard, hall porter, porter, gatekeeper, ostiary]
3: United States writer of novels and short stories (1890-1980) [syn: Porter, Katherine Anne Porter]
4: United States composer and lyricist of musical comedies (1891-1946) [syn: Porter, Cole Porter, Cole Albert Porter]
5: United States writer of short stories whose pen name was O. Henry (1862-1910) [syn: Porter, William Sydney Porter, O. Henry]
6: a railroad employee who assists passengers (especially on sleeping cars) [syn: porter, Pullman porter]
7: a very dark sweet ale brewed from roasted unmalted barley [syn: porter, porter's beer] v
1: carry luggage or supplies; "They portered the food up Mount Kilimanjaro for the tourists"

Merriam Webster's

I. biographical name Cole Albert 1891-1964 American songwriter II. biographical name David 1780-1843 & his son David Dixon 1813-1891 American naval officers III. biographical name Eliot Furness 1901-1990 American photographer IV. biographical name Gene 1868-1924 née Stratton American novelist V. biographical name Katherine Anne 1890-1980 American writer VI. biographical name Noah 1811-1892 American philosopher & lexicographer VII. biographical name William Sydney 1862-1910 pseudonym O Henry American short-story writer

Merriam Webster's

I. noun Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Late Latin portarius, from Latin porta gate — more at port Date: 13th century chiefly British a person stationed at a door or gate to admit or assist those entering II. noun Etymology: Middle English portour, from Anglo-French porteour, from Late Latin portator, from Latin portare to carry — more at fare Date: 14th century 1. a person who carries burdens; especially one employed to carry baggage for patrons at a hotel or transportation terminal 2. a parlor-car or sleeping-car attendant who waits on passengers and makes up berths 3. [short for porter's beer] a heavy dark brown beer brewed from browned or charred malt 4. a person who does routine cleaning (as in a hospital or office) III. verb Date: 1609 transitive verb to transport or carry as or as if by a porter intransitive verb to act as a porter

Oxford Reference Dictionary

1. n. 1 a a person employed to carry luggage etc., esp. a railway, airport, or hotel employee. b a hospital employee who moves equipment, trolleys, etc. 2 a dark-brown bitter beer brewed from charred or browned malt (app. orig. made esp. for porters). 3 US a sleeping-car attendant. Derivatives: porterage n. Etymology: ME f. OF port(e)our f. med.L portator -oris f. portare carry 2. n. Brit. a gatekeeper or doorkeeper, esp. of a large building. Etymology: ME & AF, OF portier f. LL portarius f. porta door

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Porter Por"ter, n. [F. portier, L. portarius, from porta a gate, door. See Port a gate.] A man who has charge of a door or gate; a doorkeeper; one who waits at the door to receive messages. --Shak. To him the porter openeth. --John x. 3.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Porter Por"ter, n. [F. porteur, fr. porter to carry, L. portare. See Port to carry.] 1. A carrier; one who carries or conveys burdens, luggage, etc.; for hire. 2. (Forging) A bar of iron or steel at the end of which a forging is made; esp., a long, large bar, to the end of which a heavy forging is attached, and by means of which the forging is lifted and handled in hammering and heating; -- called also porter bar. 3. A malt liquor, of a dark color and moderately bitter taste, possessing tonic and intoxicating qualities. Note: Porter is said to be so called as having been first used chiefly by the London porters, and this application of the word is supposed to be not older than 1750.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Beer Beer, n. [OE. beor, ber, AS. be['o]r; akin to Fries. biar, Icel. bj?rr, OHG. bior, D. & G. bier, and possibly E. brew. [root]93, See Brew.] 1. A fermented liquor made from any malted grain, but commonly from barley malt, with hops or some other substance to impart a bitter flavor. Note: Beer has different names, as small beer, ale, porter, brown stout, lager beer, according to its strength, or other qualities. See Ale. 2. A fermented extract of the roots and other parts of various plants, as spruce, ginger, sassafras, etc. Small beer, weak beer; (fig.) insignificant matters. ``To suckle fools, and chronicle small beer.'' --Shak.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(porters) 1. A porter is a person whose job is to be in charge of the entrance of a building such as a hotel. (BRIT; in AM, use doorman) N-COUNT 2. A porter is a person whose job is to carry things, for example people's luggage at a railway station or in a hotel. N-COUNT 3. A porter on a train is a person whose job is to make up beds in the sleeping car and to help passengers. (AM; in BRIT, usually use attendant) N-COUNT 4. In a hospital, a porter is someone whose job is to move patients from place to place. (mainly BRIT; in AM, usually use orderly) N-COUNT

Easton's Bible Dictionary

a gate-keeper (2 Sam. 18:26; 2 Kings 7:10; 1 Chr. 9:21; 2 Chr. 8:14). Of the Levites, 4,000 were appointed as porters by David (1 Chr. 23:5), who were arranged according to their families (26:1-19) to take charge of the doors and gates of the temple. They were sometimes employed as musicians (1 Chr. 15:18).

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

n. 1. Carrier. 2. Door-keeper, concierge.

Moby Thesaurus

Aquarius, Ganymede, Hebe, baggage man, bakehead, bearer, bheesty, brakeman, brakie, busboy, butcher, caddie, caretaker, cargo handler, carrier, carrier pigeon, carter, cerberus, cleaner, common carrier, concierge, conductor, conveyer, coolie, cupbearer, dispatcher, doorkeeper, doorman, drayman, express, expressman, fireman, footplate man, freighter, gatekeeper, guard, gun bearer, hauler, homing pigeon, janitor, letter carrier, lineman, litter-bearer, ostiary, railroad man, railroader, receptionist, redcap, shield-bearer, skycap, smoke agent, stationmaster, stevedore, stoker, stretcher-bearer, super, superintendent, switchman, the Water Bearer, trainboy, trainman, trainmaster, transporter, truck driver, trucker, usher, wagoner, warden, watchman, water boy, water carrier, yardman, yardmaster