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commissionaire

[kuh-mish-uh-nair]
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SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR commissionaire ON THESAURUS.COM

noun British.

a uniformed attendant, as a doorkeeper or usher.

Origin of commissionaire

1755–65; < French commissionnaire; see commission, -aire
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for commissionaire

prophet, go-between, emissary, courier, mediator, gofer, ambassador, harbinger, bearer, runner, envoy, detail, agent, herald, precursor, forerunner, carrier, minister, post, detachment

Examples from the Web for commissionaire

Historical Examples of commissionaire

  • The commissionaire regarded him contemptuously, but did not reply to the sarcasm.

    The Foolish Lovers

    St. John G. Ervine

  • At seven o'clock that night the commissionaire was discovered.

    The Man Who Knew

    Edgar Wallace

  • Then came the charge of our "commissionaire" for his services.

    Glances at Europe

    Horace Greeley

  • "Yes, since one o'clock I have been in my office," said the commissionaire.

    Jack O' Judgment

    Edgar Wallace

  • "Nobody has gone up them stairs," said the commissionaire emphatically.

    Jack O' Judgment

    Edgar Wallace

British Dictionary definitions for commissionaire

commissionaire

noun

mainly British a uniformed doorman at a hotel, theatre, etc

Word Origin for commissionaire

C18: from French, from commission
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