usher
UK [ˈʌʃ.ə(ɹ)] · US [ˈʌʃ.ɚ] noun, verb, proper noun
Forms ushers ushering ushered huisher husher
- noun A person, in a church, cinema etc., who escorts people to their seats.
- noun A male escort at a wedding.
- noun A doorkeeper in a courtroom.
- noun (obsolete) An assistant to a head teacher or schoolteacher; an assistant teacher.
- noun (dated, derogatory) Any schoolteacher.
- verb To guide people to their seats.
- verb To accompany or escort (someone).
- verb (figurative) To precede; to act as a forerunner or herald.
- verb (figurative) To lead or guide somewhere.
- proper noun A surname originating as an occupation for an usher.
- proper noun A suburb of Bunbury, Western Australia.
Synonyms
bridesman groomsman Ussher James Ussher James Usher doorkeeper guide show
Etymology
From Middle English ussher, uscher, usscher, from Anglo-Norman usser and Old French ussier, uissier (“porter, doorman”) (compare French huissier), from Vulgar Latin *ustiārius (“doorkeeper”), from Latin ōstiārius, from ōstium (“door”). Akin to ōs (“mouth”). Probably a doublet of ostiary and huissier.
Webster’s 1913
- noun 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.
- noun An under teacher, or assistant master, in a school.
- verb 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.
Etymology [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.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “usher”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details