messenger

American  

[mes-uhn-jer] / ˈmɛs ən dʒər /

noun

1. a person who carries a message or goes on an errand for another, especially as a matter of duty or business.

   Synonyms:

   courier, bearer

2. a person employed to convey official dispatches or to go on other official or special errands.

   a bank messenger.

3. Nautical.

   1. a rope or chain made into an endless belt to pull on an anchor cable or to drive machinery from some power source, as a capstan or winch.

   2. a light line by which a heavier line, as a hawser, can be pulled across a gap between a ship and a pier, a buoy, another ship, etc.

4. Oceanography. a brass weight sent down a line to actuate a Nansen bottle or other oceanographic instrument.

5. Archaic. a herald, forerunner, or harbinger.

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verb (used with object)

1. to send by messenger.

messenger British  

/ ˈmɛsɪndʒə /

noun

1. a person who takes messages from one person or group to another or others

2. a person who runs errands or is employed to run errands

3. a carrier of official dispatches; courier

4. nautical

   1. a light line used to haul in a heavy rope

   2. an endless belt of chain, rope, or cable, used on a powered winch to take off power

5. archaic a herald

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Etymology

Origin of messenger

1175–1225; Middle English messager, messangere < Anglo-French; Old French messagier. See message, -er ²

Example Sentences

“The Colonel felt you’d be well suited to assist as a messenger. Are you physically fit?”

From Literature

But she added there was a "large group of people who are potential supporters, where she might not be the best messenger".

From BBC

Extracellular vesicles are produced by nearly all cells and normally act as messengers, transporting proteins and other materials between cells.

From Science Daily

The pharmaceutical giant said it had submitted regulatory filings in several countries, including the U.S., for marketing authorization of mRNA-1010, its messenger RNA-based vaccine targeting seasonal influenza strains.

From Barron's

Glutamate is the most common of these chemical messengers and plays a key role in memory, learning, and emotion.

From Science Daily

Related Words

• courier
• emissary
• go-between
• mediator
• prophet