noun
porter
PAW-tuh
noun
1
A person employed to carry luggage or goods, especially at a station, airport, or hotel.
"The porter carried our bags up to the room."
2
A person who staffs and controls the entrance to a building.
"The porter buzzed us in through the main gate."
3
A strong, dark beer similar to a stout but generally lighter in body.
"He ordered a pint of porter at the pub."
How to Use Porter
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishSomeone paid to carry luggage or guard a building's entrance, or a type of dark beer.
Common pairings
hotel porter
porter and stout
Word Forms
portered past tense, porters plural, porters plural, porters singular
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Etymology
From Old French porteor, from Latin portare ("to carry"), formed as "port" (carry) plus the agent suffix "-er". The beer, originally popular with London street porters, takes its name from the same word.