Definify.com

Webster 1913 Edition


Porter

Por′ter

,
Noun.
[F.
portier
, L.
portarius
, from
porta
a gate, door. See
Port
a gate.]
A man who has charge of a door or gate; a doorkeeper; one who waits at the door to receive messages.
Shak.
To him the
porter
openeth.
John x. 3.

Por′ter

,
Noun.
[F.
porteur
, fr.
porter
to carry, L.
portare
. See
Port
to carry.]
1.
A carrier; one who carries or conveys burdens, luggage, etc.; for hire.
2.
(Forging)
A bar of iron or steel at the end of which a forging is made; esp., a long, large bar, to the end of which a heavy forging is attached, and by means of which the forging is lifted and handled in hammering and heating; – called also
porter bar
.
3.
A malt liquor, of a dark color and moderately bitter taste, possessing tonic and intoxicating qualities.
☞ Porter is said to be so called as having been first used chiefly by the London porters, and this application of the word is supposed to be not older than 1750.

Webster 1828 Edition


Porter

PORTER

,
Noun.
[L. porta, a gate.]
1.
A man that has the charge of a door or gate; a door-keeper.
2.
One that waits at the door to receive messages.
3.
[L. porto.] A carrier; a person who carries or conveys burdens for hire.
4.
A malt liquor which differs from ale and pale beer, in being made with high dried malt.

Definition 2024


Porter

Porter

See also: porter and pórter

English

Proper noun

Porter

  1. A surname.
  2. A male given name

porter

porter

See also: Porter and pórter

English

Noun

porter (plural porters)

  1. A person who carries luggage and related objects.
    By the time I reached the train station I was exhausted, but fortunately there was a porter waiting.
  2. (zoology) An ant having the specialized role of carrying.
  3. (computing) One who ports software (makes it usable on another platform).
Translations

Etymology 2

Borrowing from Anglo-Norman portour, from Old French portier, from Late Latin portarius (gatekeeper), from Latin porta (gate).

Noun

porter (plural porters)

  1. A person in control of the entrance to a building.
  2. (bowling) An employee who clears and cleans tables and puts bowling balls away.
  3. A strong, dark ale, originally favored by porters, similar to a stout but less strong.
  4. (Ireland) Stout (malt brew).
Coordinate terms
Translations

Verb

porter (third-person singular simple present porters, present participle portering, simple past and past participle portered)

  1. To serve as a porter; to carry.

Anagrams


Catalan

Etymology

From porta or from Late Latin portārius, from Latin porta. Compare French portier.

Noun

porter m (plural porters)

  1. doorman, doorkeeper, gatekeeper
  2. goalkeeper

Related terms


French

Etymology 1

From Old French porter, from Latin portāre, present active infinitive of portō.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /pɔʁ.te/

Verb

porter

  1. to carry
  2. to support, to bear
  3. to wear
  4. (of a subject) to be about, to concern
  5. (reflexive, se porter) to feel
    Je me porte mieux. ― I am feeling better.
    Il se porte bien. ― He's in good health.

Conjugation

Derived terms
Related terms

Etymology 2

From English porter.

Pronunciation

Noun

porter m (plural porters)

  1. porter (beer)
    • 1884, Joris-Karl Huysmans, À rebours, XI:
      il […] étancha sa soif avec le porter, cette bière noire qui sent le jus de réglisse dépouillé de sucre.
      He quenched his thirst with some porter, that dark beer which smells of unsweetened liquorice.

Anagrams


Ladin

Etymology

From Latin portāre, present active infinitive of portō (bring, carry).

Verb

porter

  1. to carry

Conjugation


Latin

Verb

porter

  1. first-person singular present passive subjunctive of portō

Middle French

Etymology

From Latin portō.

Verb

porter

  1. to carry
    porter la banniere
    to carry the banner

Conjugation

  • Middle French conjugation varies from one text to another. Hence, the following conjugation should be considered as typical, not as exhaustive.

Norman

Alternative forms

Etymology

From Old French porter, from Latin portō, portāre.

Pronunciation

Verb

porter

  1. (Jersey) to carry
  2. (Jersey) to wear

Derived terms


Norwegian Bokmål

Noun

porter m

  1. indefinite plural of port

Old French

Etymology

From Latin portāre, present active infinitive of portō.

Verb

porter

  1. to carry
    porter la baniere
    to carry the banner
  2. to carry a child (to be pregnant)

Conjugation

This verb conjugates as a first-group verb ending in -er. The forms that would normally end in *-ts, *-tt are modified to z, t. Old French conjugation varies significantly by date and by region. The following conjugation should be treated as a guide.

Descendants