See Also: PORTER(law)
porter(dictionary)
porter(2)(dictionary)
porter(1)(dictionary)
Porter(medicine)
Porter, William(medicine)
pret-a-porter(dictionary)
Porter's fascia(medicine)
Porter, Curt(medicine)
Porter (as used in expressions)(encyclopedia)

porter(2) (iou)



porter noun2 & verb. ME.
[Old & mod. French port(e)our (mod. porteur) from medieval Latin portator, from portat- pa. ppl stem of portare bear, carry: see PORT verb1, -ER2, -OUR.]
A. noun.
a. A person employed to carry luggage etc., now esp. in a railway station, an airport, or a hotel. ME.
porter's knot: see KNOT noun1 6.
E. Hemingway A porter carried Bill's bags in from the consigne.
b. gen. & fig. A person who or thing which carries or conveys something; a carrier. L16.
c. spec. A person taken on to carry supplies etc. on a mountaineering expedition. M19.
d. A hospital employee who moves equipment, trolleys, etc. Also hospital porter. M20.
An appliance for lifting, carrying, or supporting something; spec. an iron bar attached to a usu. heavy object to be forged, by which the object may be moved into position. M16.
A dark-brown bitter beer brewed from malt partly charred or browned by drying at a high temperature, apparently made orig. for porters; a drink of this. M18.
Weaving. = BEER noun3. Scot. M18.
b. verb trans. Carry, bear, or convey, esp. as a porter. E19.
porterless adjective without a porter or porters L17.
porterlike adjective (rare) resembling a porter in manner, appearance, etc. L16.
porterly adjective of or (supposedly) characteristic of a porter; rude, vulgar, low: E17-M18.