usher
Part of speech: noun
verb
Morphological type: simple
Etymology: 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.
Inflected forms:
form: ushers
pos: noun
tags: plural
form: huisher
pos: noun
tags: alternative
form: ushers
pos: verb
tags: present
singular
third-person
form: ushering
pos: verb
tags: participle
present
form: ushered
pos: verb
tags: participle
past
form: ushered
pos: verb
tags: past
form: huisher
pos: verb
tags: alternative
form: husher
pos: verb
tags: alternative
Senses:
gloss: A person, in a church, cinema etc., who escorts people to their seats.
pos: noun
gloss: A male escort at a wedding.
pos: noun
gloss: A doorkeeper in a courtroom.
pos: noun
gloss: An assistant to a head teacher or schoolteacher; an assistant teacher.
pos: noun
tags: obsolete
examples: [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 teacher, had by his sole capacity and application, brought the school to that degree of reputation which it never could have obtained from the talents of his superior.
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.’
gloss: Any schoolteacher.
pos: noun
tags: dated
derogatory
gloss: To guide people to their seats.
pos: verb
tags: transitive
examples: 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;
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.
gloss: To accompany or escort (someone).
pos: verb
tags: transitive
examples: [N]ay he can ſing / A meane moſt meanely, and in huſhering, / Mende him who can[.]
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 Lictours follow after behinde.
Margaret was astonished at the magnificence of the apartments into which she was ushered.
gloss: To precede; to act as a forerunner or herald.
pos: verb
tags: figuratively
transitive
examples: Thus the Harvard poets and wits ushered The New England Courant out of existence.
gloss: To lead or guide somewhere.
pos: verb
tags: figuratively
transitive
examples: 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 words: gentleman usher
usheress
usherette
usher in
Translations: