usher
A person, in a church, cinema etc., who escorts people to their seats.
Noun
- A person, in a church, cinema etc., who escorts people to their seats.
- A male escort at a wedding.
- A doorkeeper in a courtroom.
- An assistant to a head teacher or schoolteacher; an assistant teacher.
- [H]e defrayed the expence of his entrance, and left him in the particular care and inspection of the usher, who […] though obliged by the scandalous administration of fortune to act in the character of an inferior...
- He began to learn Latin with Mr. Hawkins, usher, or under-master of Lichfield school, ‘a man (said he) very skilful in his little way.’ - 1791, James Boswell, “(please specify the year)”, in James Boswell, editor, The...
- Any schoolteacher.
Origin
From Middle English ussher, uscher, usscher, from Anglo-Norman usser and Old French ussier, uissier (“porter, doorman”) (compare French huissier), from Vulgar Latin *ustiārius (“doorkeeper”), from Latin ōstiārius, from ōstium (“door”). Akin to ōs (“mouth”). Probably a doublet of ostiary and huissier.
Forms
Derived
Verb
- To guide people to their seats.
- 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...
- Needless to say, one's seat must be booked in advance and a platoon of urbane officials, one to each door of the train, awaits passengers to usher them to their seats and relieve them of their bulkier baggage. - 1960...
- To accompany or escort (someone).
- [N]ay he can ſing / A meane moſt meanely, and in huſhering, / Mende him who can[.] - c. 1595–1596 (date written), W. Shakespere [i.e., William Shakespeare], A Pleasant Conceited Comedie Called, Loues Labors Lost. […]...
- Hee brought-in likewiſe the ancient cuſtome againe, that in what moneth hee had not the Knitches of rods with Axes borne before him, a publique Officer called Accensvs ſhould huiſher him before, and the Serjeants or...
- 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:
- To precede; to act as a forerunner or herald.
- 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:
- To lead or guide somewhere.
- 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...