usher
See also: Usher
English
Etymology
Borrowed from Anglo-Norman usser, from Old French ussier, uissier (“porter, doorman”) (compare French huissier), from Vulgar Latin *ustiārius (“doorkeeper”), from Latin ōstiārius, from ostium (“door”). Akin to ōs (“mouth”). Probably a doublet of ostiary and huissier.
Pronunciation
- enPR: ŭshʹ-ər, IPA(key): /ˈʌʃəɹ/
- Lua error in Module:parameters at line 331: Parameter 1 should be a valid language or etymology language code; the value "AU" is not valid. See WT:LOL and WT:LOL/E. IPA(key): [ˈaʃ.ə(ɹ)]
- Lua error in Module:parameters at line 331: Parameter 1 should be a valid language or etymology language code; the value "UK" is not valid. See WT:LOL and WT:LOL/E. IPA(key): [ˈʌʃ.ə(ɹ)]
- Lua error in Module:parameters at line 331: Parameter 1 should be a valid language or etymology language code; the value "US" is not valid. See WT:LOL and WT:LOL/E. IPA(key): [ˈʌʃ.ɚ]
Audio (US): (file) Audio (AU): (file) - Rhymes: -ʌʃə(ɹ)
- Hyphenation: ush‧er
Noun
usher (plural ushers)
- A person, in a church, cinema etc., who escorts people to their seats.
- A male escort at a wedding.
- A doorkeeper in a courtroom.
- (dated) An underteacher, or assistant master, in a school.
- (dated, derogatory) Any schoolteacher.
Synonyms
Derived terms
Translations
person who escorts people to their seats
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male escort at a wedding
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doorkeeper in a courtroom
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- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Translations to be checked
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Verb
usher (third-person singular simple present ushers, present participle ushering, simple past and past participle ushered)
- To guide people to their seats.
- 1836, Charles Dickens, Sketches by Boz, "The curate. The old lady. The half-pay captain."
- Her entrance into church on Sunday is always the signal for a little bustle in the side aisle, occasioned by a general rise among the poor people, who bow and curtsey until the pew-opener has ushered the old lady into her accustomed seat, dropped a respectful curtsey, and shut the door;
- 1836, Charles Dickens, Sketches by Boz, "The curate. The old lady. The half-pay captain."
- To accompany or escort (someone).
- 1898, John Lothrop Motley, The Rise of the Dutch Republic, page 509
- Margaret was astonished at the magnificence of the apartments into which she was ushered.
- 1898, John Lothrop Motley, The Rise of the Dutch Republic, page 509
- (figuratively) To precede; to act as a forerunner or herald.
- 1912, Elizabeth Christine Cook, Literary Influences in Colonial Newspapers, 1704-1750, page 31
- Thus the Harvard poets and wits ushered The New England Courant out of existence.
- 1912, Elizabeth Christine Cook, Literary Influences in Colonial Newspapers, 1704-1750, page 31
- (figuratively, transitive) to lead or guide somewhere
- 2011 December 29, Keith Jackson, “SPL: Celtic 1 Rangers 0”, in Daily Record[1]:
- McCoist unexpectedly ushered back a defender of his own with Kirk Broadfoot taking over from Steven Whittaker. There was, of course, another change, Kyle Bartley stepping in at centre-half to replace suspended Dorin Goian.
Derived terms
Translations
to guide people to their seats
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to accompany or escort
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to precede; to act as a forerunner or herald
Anagrams
Categories:
- English terms borrowed from Anglo-Norman
- English terms derived from Anglo-Norman
- English terms derived from Old French
- English terms derived from Vulgar Latin
- English terms derived from Latin
- English doublets
- English 2-syllable words
- English terms with IPA pronunciation
- English terms with audio links
- Rhymes:English/ʌʃə(ɹ)
- English lemmas
- English nouns
- English countable nouns
- English dated terms
- English derogatory terms
- English verbs
- English transitive verbs
- English terms with quotations