plural porters
chiefly British
: a person stationed at a door or gate to admit or assist those entering
plural porters
1
: a person who carries burdens
especially
: one employed to carry baggage for patrons at a hotel or transportation terminal
2
: a parlor-car or sleeping-car attendant who waits on passengers and makes up berths
4
: a person who does routine cleaning (as in a hospital or office)
portered; portering; porters
: to transport or carry as or as if by a porter
: to act as a porter
Examples of porter in a Sentence
Noun (1)
he generously tipped the porter for hailing a taxi
Recent Examples on the Web
Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 27 Oct. 2025
By then, the preeminent fashion genius of the third quarter of the 20th century and the designer so often credited with inventing the modern woman’s wardrobe had handed prêt-à-porter over to his assistants, who clung as if by commandment to the house dogma of bourgeois Parisian elegance.
—Rob Haskell, Vogue, 20 Oct. 2025
Helen Regan, CNN, 5 Mar. 2021
See All Example Sentences for porter
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Noun
As reported, Loehnis left her role as president and ad interim chief executive officer of Yoox Net-a-porter group earlier this year.
—Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 27 Oct. 2025
By then, the preeminent fashion genius of the third quarter of the 20th century and the designer so often credited with inventing the modern woman’s wardrobe had handed prêt-à-porter over to his assistants, who clung as if by commandment to the house dogma of bourgeois Parisian elegance.
—Rob Haskell, Vogue, 20 Oct. 2025
Verb
Sang Hnin Lian said Chin people have been used as human shields in war in the past, and forced to porter or guide the military.
—Helen Regan, CNN, 5 Mar. 2021
See All Example Sentences for porter
Cite this Entry
“Porter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/porter. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
porter
1 of 2 noun
por·ter
ˈpōrt-ər 
ˈpȯrt-
chiefly British
porter
2 of 2 noun1
: a person who carries baggage (as at a hotel)
2
: a railroad employee who waits on passengers
3
: a dark heavy ale
Biographical Definition
Porter
2 of 7biographical name (2)
David 1780–1843 and his son David Dixon 1813–1891 American naval officers
Porter
3 of 7biographical name (3)
Eliot Furness 1901–1990 American photographer
Porter
4 of 7biographical name (4)
Gene 1868–1924 née Stratton American novelist
Porter
5 of 7biographical name (5)
Katherine Anne 1890–1980 American writer
Porter
6 of 7biographical name (6)
Noah 1811–1892 American philosopher and lexicographer
Porter
7 of 7biographical name (7)
William Sydney 1862–1910 pseudonym
O. Henry
(ˈ)ō-ˈhen-rē
American short-story writer
American short-story writer
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