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Webster 1913 Edition


Usher

Ush′er

,
Noun.
[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
.]
1.
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.
These are the
ushers
of Marcius.
Shakespeare
☞ There are various officers of this kind attached to the royal household in England, including the gentleman usher of the black rod, who attends in the House of Peers during the sessions of Parliament, and twelve or more gentlemen ushers. See
Black rod
.
2.
An under teacher, or assistant master, in a school.

Ush′er

,
Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Ushered
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Ushering
.]
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
.
The stars that
usher
evening rose.
Milton.
The Examiner was
ushered
into the world by a letter, setting forth the great genius of the author.
Addison.

Webster 1828 Edition


Usher

USH'ER

, n.
1.
Properly, an officer or servant who has the care of the door of a court, hall, chamber or the like; hence, an officer whose business is to introduce strangers, or to walk before a person of rank. In the king's household there are four gentlemen-ushers of the privy chamber. There is also an usher of the exchequer, who attends the barons, sheriffs, juries, &c.
2.
An under-teacher or assistant to the preceptor of a school.

USH'ER

,
Verb.
T.
To introduce, as a forerunner or harbinger; to forerun.
The stars that usher evening, rose.
The Examiner was ushered into the world by a letter, setting forth the great genius of the author.

Definition 2024


usher

usher

English

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) A pejorative sobriquet for any schoolteacher.

Synonyms

Derived terms

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:
      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