1835–45; < French portière < Medieval Latin portāria, noun use of feminine of Late Latin portārius; see porter 2
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Meantime, the prince retrieved his priceless paintings and handmade clothes from the portiere, or janitor, who had helpfully hidden them when the inspector called.
From Time Magazine Archive
He thought he saw Cathy’s door close very silently, but perhaps the leaping candlelight had fooled his eyes, for a portiere seemed to move too.
From "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck
He had pushed back a dusty portiere to find himself in what could be nothing less than the Professor’s sleeping chamber.
From Astounding Stories of Super-Science, March 1930 by Bates, Harry
I turned away from him to recross the room and murmur a few words of brighter hope into the ear of Eloise, where she sat in white-faced silence amid the deeper shadows of the portiere.
From Prisoners of Chance The Story of What Befell Geoffrey Benteen, Borderman, through His Love for a Lady of France by Parrish, Randall
The door by which the footman had departed was concealed by a portiere of heavy velvet; a hand had moved it aside and a face was looking round the edge of it at her.
From Those Who Smiled And Eleven Other Stories by Gibbon, Perceval
And thereupon she unhooped the portière, which consisted of two curtains, and drew them right across the door.
From There is no Death by Marryatt, Florence
She follows him across hall and corridor, through two modern rooms, and past a portière, into another and larger hall beyond.
From Faith and Unfaith by Duchess
She was looking out of the window as I approached the house; she herself opened the door to me; and we walked through the bead portière and entered the party-room on the left.
From The Debit Account by Onions, Oliver [pseud.]
This Prussian lady was sitting one morning in her boudoir, when she heard a rustling sound in the ante-room, which was divided by a portière from the boudoir.
From Ghosts and Family Legends A Volume for Christmas by Crowe, Catherine
We were in Milverton's study, and a portière at the farther side showed the entrance to his bedroom.
From The Strand Magazine, Volume XXVII, Issue 160, April, 1904 by Various
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.
