porter
porter Lexical Profile
porter Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A person employed to carry luggage and other loads, especially at a railway station, airport, hotel, or on a mountain expedition.
"The hotel porter helped us carry our heavy suitcases up to the fourth floor."
A dark brown, bitter beer brewed from charred or browned malt.
"He ordered a pint of rich, roasted porter at the local pub."
British A doorkeeper or gatekeeper at the entrance of a large building, such as a college, hospital, or apartment block.
"The college porter checked our identification at the main gate before letting us through."
North American An attendant stationed on a railway sleeping car or parlor car to assist passengers.
"The sleeping car porter made up the berths for the overnight train journey."
• verb
To work as a porter, or to carry loads and supplies on foot, especially during an expedition.
"During his summers in college, he portered gear for mountaineering expeditions in the Andes."
• Rhymes for porter
Word Origin & Etymology
As a luggage carrier, from Old French porteur, from Latin portator ('carrier'), from portare ('to carry'). As a gatekeeper, from Anglo-French porter, from Late Latin portarius, from Latin porta ('gate' or 'door'). The beer sense is shortened from 'porter's ale', named for its popularity among London street and river porters in the 18th century.