usher

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See also: Usher

English

WOTD – 29 January 2010
English Wikipedia has an article on:
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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 290: 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 290: 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 290: 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)

  1. A person, in a church, cinema etc., who escorts people to their seats.
  2. A male escort at a wedding.
  3. A doorkeeper in a courtroom.
  4. (dated) An underteacher, or assistant master, in a school.
  5. (dated, derogatory) Any schoolteacher.

Synonyms

Derived terms

Translations

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Verb

usher (third-person singular simple present ushers, present participle ushering, simple past and past participle ushered)

  1. 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;
  2. 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.
  3. (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.
  4. (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

Anagrams

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