bellhop
Americannoun
-
bellhops
plural
verb (used without object)
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of bellhop
Explanation
A bellhop is a person whose job involves carrying people's luggage in a hotel. When you check into a fancy inn, the bellhop will take your suitcase up to your room for you. You can also call a bellhop a bellboy, unless she's a woman, in which case bellhop makes more sense. The main job of a bellhop is to help hotel customers transport their luggage to their rooms, or to their cars when they're checking out. The word comes from the old fashioned hotel practice of the desk clerk ringing a bell to summon the bellhop — who would presumably "hop" to work, hurrying to help with the patron's bags.
Vocabulary lists containing bellhop
Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator
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Me Talk Pretty One Day
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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.
See Examples For:
Its founder, Guccio Gucci, had a stint working as a bellhop in the Savoy, the luxury London hotel, more than a century ago.
From Seattle Times ● May 13, 2024
He was, for a day, a short-order cook, a bellhop, a social work aide, a plumber.
From New York Times ● Apr. 16, 2024
I found myself pulled over in front of a hotel, with the bellhop asking if I could help a couple of his guests to find the nearby garage at which they had parked their vehicle.
From Washington Post ● Aug. 26, 2022
That said, Delaney and Patsy Ferran, who plays the quirky bellhop Joy, are among the highlights.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 26, 2021
Barry had a friend who worked as a bellhop at a hotel in the financial district.
From "Book Scavenger" by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman
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The hospitality and tourism industry is a key contributor to L.A.’s economy, employing more than 540,000 people who work as room cleaners, dishwashers, restaurant servers and bellhops, among other jobs.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 13, 2025
Pack lightly enough to be free from porters, taxi drivers and bellhops.
From New York Times ● Nov. 18, 2024
The strike encompassed housekeepers, dishwashers, cooks, waiters, bellhops and front-desk agents,
From Reuters ● Jul. 5, 2023
No progress was reported in negotiations between employers and Unite Here Local 11, which represents bellhops, front desk agents, room attendants, cooks, servers and dishwashers.
From Seattle Times ● Jul. 5, 2023
The concierge seemed too intimidating, so he asked one of the bellhops, who directed him to the house phone.
From "Small Steps" by Louis Sachar
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.