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

Claudia Major, a political scientist and specialist on German security policy, says Breuer is the perfect messenger because of his thoughtful and deliberate manner.

From The Wall Street Journal

Russia has asked for both messengers to provide access to data when requested by law enforcement for fraud probes and for investigating activities Russia describes as "terrorist".

From Barron's

The app in question is Max, a messenger that has features similar to WhatsApp and Telegram but is state-controlled and offers no encryption, according to tech experts.

From The Wall Street Journal

"Max is an accessible alternative, a developing messenger, a national messenger. And it is an alternative available on the market for citizens," he said.

From Barron's

“We sent them with one of my parakeet messengers, but they came back unopened. You weren’t at the old address anymore. By then, she’d already gone to the Forever Gardens.”

From Literature

Related Words

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