bell captain

American

noun

a hotel employee who supervises the work of bellhops.

bell captain British

noun

another name for captain

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of bell captain

An Americanism dating back to 1925–30

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

“We really don’t want to do this, but if we have to, we will,” Leain Vashion, a bell captain at Paris Las Vegas, said earlier Tuesday during a break in negotiations with Caesars.

From Seattle Times

Even the bell captain made him feel at home.

From Literature

If you find a long line at a full-service hotel, head straight to the bell captain and ask an employee to store your luggage.

From Washington Post

TJ Horth, a hotel bell captain in Chicago, said he had almost saved enough money to buy his girlfriend an engagement ring before hearing on Wednesday that he had been laid off.

From Reuters

A bell captain helped two older girls in jeans and T-shirts get a footlocker and two suitcases inside the back of a Chevy.

From Literature

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023