redcap

American  

[red-kap] / ˈrɛdˌkæp /

noun

1. a baggage porter at a railroad station.

2. British Informal. a member of the military police.

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redcap British  

/ ˈrɛdˌkæp /

noun

1. informal a military police officer

2. a porter at an airport or station

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Etymology

Origin of redcap

First recorded in 1530–40; red ¹ + cap ¹

Explanation

A redcap is a train station porter, a worker who helps passengers carry their luggage. If you're traveling to Chicago by train and taking your stand up bass with you, you'll need the assistance of a redcap. Redcap is an American nickname that's been used since the early 20th century, when porters actually wore red caps. Some people also use the words bearer or carrier — or sometimes baggage handler. This last term is more common at airports (along with the newer skycap), while porter and redcap are exclusive to railroad stations. British military police are also referred to as redcaps.

Example Sentences

Therefore Minister Olaya, unattended, went to the Union Station, handed his bag to a redcap, boarded an ordinary Pullman to New York where he went into seclusion.

From Time Magazine Archive

And her father, a redcap at Los Angeles' Union Station, owns a roomful of hot records�Ella Fitzgerald, Duke Ellington, Louis Jordan.

From Time Magazine Archive

Cliff Campbell was a young Negro from Washington, D.C., a onetime Pullman porter and redcap, whom the depression had sidetracked from architecture into schoolteaching.

From Time Magazine Archive

Others: a hobo is a redcap, sinkers are dumplings, a K.O. is a commanding officer.

From Time Magazine Archive

But the way he’s looking, I wonder if it’s just weird to see us together, redcap general and human girl.

From "The Cruel Prince" by Holly Black