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Usher definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

USH'ER, n.
1. Properly, an officer or servant who has the care of the door of a court, hall, chamber or the like; hence, an officer whose business is to introduce strangers, or to walk before a person of rank. In the king's household there are four gentlemen-ushers of the privy chamber. There is also an usher of the exchequer, who attends the barons, sheriffs, juries, etc.
2. An under-teacher or assistant to the preceptor of a school.
USH'ER, v.t. To introduce, as a forerunner or harbinger; to forerun.
The stars that usher evening, rose.
The Examiner was ushered into the world by a letter, setting forth the great genius of the author.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: Irish prelate who deduced from the Bible that Creation occurred in the year 4004 BC (1581-1656) [syn: Ussher, James Ussher, Usher, James Usher]
2: an official stationed at the entrance of a courtroom or legislative chamber [syn: usher, doorkeeper]
3: someone employed to conduct others [syn: usher, guide] v
1: take (someone) to their seats, as in theaters or auditoriums; "The usher showed us to our seats" [syn: usher, show]

Merriam Webster's

I. noun Etymology: Middle English ussher, from Anglo-French ussier, usscher, from Vulgar Latin *ustiarius doorkeeper, from Latin ostium, ustium door, mouth of a river — more at ostium Date: 13th century 1. a. an officer or servant who has the care of the door of a court, hall, or chamber b. an officer who walks before a person of rank c. one who escorts persons to their seats (as in a theater) 2. archaic an assistant teacher II. verb (ushered; ushering) Date: 1588 transitive verb 1. to conduct to a place 2. to precede as an usher, forerunner, or harbinger 3. to cause to enter ; introduce <a new theory ushered into the world> intransitive verb to serve as an usher <usher at a wedding>

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. & v. --n. 1 a person who shows people to their seats in a hall or theatre etc. 2 a doorkeeper at a court etc. 3 Brit. an officer walking before a person of rank. 4 archaic or joc. an assistant teacher. --v.tr. 1 act as usher to. 2 (usu. foll. by in) announce or show in etc. (ushered us into the room; ushered in a new era). Derivatives: ushership n. Etymology: ME f. AF usser, OF uissier, var. of huissier f. med.L ustiarius for L ostiarius f. ostium door

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Usher Ush"er, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Ushered; p. pr. & vb. n. Ushering.] To introduce or escort, as an usher, forerunner, or harbinger; to forerun; -- sometimes followed by in or forth; as, to usher in a stranger; to usher forth the guests; to usher a visitor into the room. The stars that usher evening rose. --Milton. The Examiner was ushered into the world by a letter, setting forth the great genius of the author. --Addison.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Usher Ush"er, n. [OE. ussher, uschere, OF. ussier, uisser, oissier, hussier, huissier, fr. L. ostiarius a doorkeeper, fr. ostium a door, entrance, fr. os mouth. See Oral, and cf. Ostiary.] 1. An officer or servant who has the care of the door of a court, hall, chamber, or the like; hence, an officer whose business it is to introduce strangers, or to walk before a person of rank. Also, one who escorts persons to seats in a church, theater, etc. ``The ushers and the squires.'' --Chaucer. These are the ushers of Marcius. --Shak. Note: There are various officers of this kind attached to the royal household in England, including the gentleman usher of the black rod, who attends in the House of Peers during the sessions of Parliament, and twelve or more gentlemen ushers. See Black rod. 2. An under teacher, or assistant master, in a school.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(ushers, ushering, ushered) 1. If you usher someone somewhere, you show them where they should go, often by going with them. (FORMAL) I ushered him into the office... They were quickly ushered away. VERB: V n prep/adv, V n prep/adv 2. An usher is a person who shows people where to sit, for example at a wedding or at a concert. He did part-time work as an usher in a theatre. N-COUNT 3. An usher is a person who organizes people who are attending a law court in Britain. N-COUNT

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. n. Sub-master, assistant teacher. II. v. a. Introduce, forerun, herald, precede, announce.

Foolish Dictionary

One who takes a leading part in a theatre.

Moby Thesaurus

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