porter

1 of 3

noun (1)

por·​ter ˈpȯr-tər 

plural porters

chiefly British

: a person stationed at a door or gate to admit or assist those entering

porter

2 of 3

noun (2)

plural porters

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 ale typically brewed from browned or charred malt

4

: a person who does routine cleaning (as in a hospital or office)

porter

3 of 3

verb

portered; portering; porters

transitive verb

: to transport or carry as or as if by a porter

intransitive verb

: to act as a porter

Synonyms

Noun (1)

• doorkeeper
• doorman
• gatekeeper
• janitor

Examples of porter in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Louis Cameron Gossett was born on May 27, 1936, in the Coney Island section of Brooklyn, New York, to Louis Sr., a porter, and Hellen, a nurse. —CBS News, 29 Mar. 2024

His mother, Hellen, was a nurse and his father, Louis Sr., a porter. —Steve Marble, Los Angeles Times, 29 Mar. 2024

Gossett was born on May 27, 1936, in the melting pot of Brooklyn, the son of a porter (who was adopted and raised by an Italian family) and a maid. —Mike Barnes, The Hollywood Reporter, 29 Mar. 2024

Becoming a porter or guide on Kilimanjaro can provide them a stable source of income in an environment that’s right in their own backyard. —Laura Kiniry, Smithsonian Magazine, 29 Mar. 2024

Johnson’s uncle, who was a Pullman porter on the New York City-Miami train route, welcomed him into his home in Harlem in 1918. —Shantay Robinson, Smithsonian Magazine, 14 Mar. 2024

The whiskey was bottled at 100 proof, and tasting notes describe a dark-espresso and chocolate character thanks to that midnight wheat, a grain often used to make stout and porter beer. —Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 14 Mar. 2024

Both the Main Street West Coast IPA and the Farm Hill Double West Coast IPA were hop-forward beers, and the Hotel Sequoia Porter is an old-school porter with rich chocolate notes. —Jay R. Brooks, The Mercury News, 12 Mar. 2024

This donation is the sum of 136 hours of his labor in the prison working as a porter/janitor. —Maham Javaid, Washington Post, 3 Mar. 2024

Verb

Sang Hnin Lian said Chin people have been used as human shields in war in the past, and forced to porter or guide the military. —Helen Regan, CNN, 5 Mar. 2021

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Late Latin portarius, from Latin porta gate — more at port

Noun (2)

Middle English portour, from Anglo-French porteour, from Late Latin portator, from Latin portare to carry — more at fare

First Known Use

Noun (1)

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1609, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Phrases Containing porter

• pret-a-porter

Kids Definition

porter

1 of 2 noun

por·​ter ˈpōrt-ər 

ˈpȯrt-

chiefly British

: doorkeeper

porter

2 of 2 noun

1

: a person who carries baggage (as at a hotel)

2

: a railroad employee who waits on passengers

3

: a dark heavy ale

Biographical Definition

Porter 1 of 7

biographical name (1)

Por·​ter ˈpȯr-tər 

Cole Albert 1891–1964 American songwriter

Porter

2 of 7

biographical name (2)

David 1780–1843 and his son David Dixon 1813–1891 American naval officers

Porter

3 of 7

biographical name (3)

Eliot Furness 1901–1990 American photographer

Porter

4 of 7

biographical name (4)

Gene 1868–1924 née Stratton American novelist

Porter

5 of 7

biographical name (5)

Katherine Anne 1890–1980 American writer

Porter

6 of 7

biographical name (6)

Noah 1811–1892 American philosopher and lexicographer

Porter

7 of 7

biographical name (7)

William Sydney 1862–1910 pseudonym O. Henry (ˈ)ō-ˈhen-rē  American short-story writer