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Synonyms

bellhop

American  
[bel-hop] / ˈbɛlˌhɒp /

noun

  1. a person who is employed, especially by a hotel, to carry guests' luggage, run errands, etc.


verb (used without object)

bellhopped, bellhopping
  1. Also bell-hop to work as a bellhop.

bellhop British  
/ ˈbɛlˌhɒp /

noun

  1. another name for bellboy

"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 bellhop

An Americanism dating back to 1895–1900; bell 1 + hop 1

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.

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Vocabulary lists containing bellhop

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.

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

That’s the short version of how a Los Angeles bellhop has won the title of best hotel worker in America.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 29, 2024

“Why, I’m no more interested in this than I am in the appointment of the bellhop in that hotel across the street.”

From Washington Post • Apr. 9, 2022

A hotel bellhop pushing a tall luggage cart was stymied by a concrete barrier, his guests lugging suitcases waiting just on the other side.

From New York Times • Jan. 18, 2021

Barry had a friend who worked as a bellhop at a hotel in the financial district.

From "Book Scavenger" by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman