usher

¹ American  

[uhsh-er] / ˈʌʃ ər /

noun

1. a person who escorts people to seats in a theater, church, etc.

2. a person acting as an official doorkeeper, as in a courtroom or legislative chamber.

3. a male attendant of a bridegroom at a wedding.

4. an officer whose business it is to introduce strangers or to walk before a person of rank.

5. British Archaic. a subordinate teacher or an assistant in a school.

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verb (used with object)

1. to act as an usher to; lead, introduce, or conduct.

   She ushered them to their seats.

2. to attend or bring at the coming or beginning; precede or herald (usually followed byin ).

   to usher in the new theater season.

verb (used without object)

1. to act as an usher.

   He ushered at the banquet.

Usher ² American  

[uhsh-er] / ˈʌʃ ər /

noun

1. James. Ussher, James.

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usher ¹ British  

/ ˈʌʃə /

noun

1. an official who shows people to their seats, as in a church or theatre

2. a person who acts as doorkeeper, esp in a court of law

3. (in England) a minor official charged with maintaining order in a court of law

4. an officer responsible for preceding persons of rank in a procession or introducing strangers at formal functions

5. obsolete a teacher

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verb

1. to conduct or escort, esp in a courteous or obsequious way

2. (usually foll by in) to be a precursor or herald (of)

Usher ² British  

/ ˈʌʃə /

noun

1. a variant spelling of (James) Ussher

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Other Word Forms

• underusher noun
• unushered adjective
• ushership noun

Etymology

Origin of usher

1350–1400; Middle English uscher doorkeeper < Anglo-French usser, Old French ( h ) uissier doorman, officer of justice < Vulgar Latin *ustiārius, equivalent to Latin ōsti ( um ) door + -ārius -ary; -er ²

Example Sentences

It directly inspired Congress’ 1978 Airline Deregulation Act, which ushered in an era of competitive domestic airline markets with lower fares.

From Barron's

The irony of the latest tempest is that Cook is probably most responsible for ushering in the technology that has made the current political moment possible: the camera phone.

From The Wall Street Journal

Lunar New Year will be celebrated in February to usher in the year of the horse - one of 12 animals repeated in a cycle under the Chinese zodiac calendar.

From BBC

Coal and Door joined the group as they were ushered through the security gates and into the auditorium.

From Literature

The storm was expected to linger for days, shifting into the heavily populated mid-Atlantic and northeastern states while crippling daily life and ushering in a frigid air mass across the country.

From Barron's

Related Words

• escort
• initiate
• precede
• steer