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Added 9 October 2026

usher

/ˈʌʃəɹ/ noun

Latin root: ōstiārius Wiktionary

noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about usher at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

A person, in a church, cinema etc., who escorts people to their seats.
A male escort at a wedding.
A doorkeeper in a courtroom.

verb

To guide people to their seats.
To accompany or escort (someone).
To precede; to act as a forerunner or herald.

Origin

From Middle English ussher, uscher, usscher, from Anglo-Norman usser and Old French ussier, uissier (“porter, doorman”) (compare French huissier), from Vulgar Latin *ustiārius (“doorkeeper”), from Latin ōstiārius, from ōstium (“door”). Akin to ōs (“mouth”). Probably a doublet of ostiary and huissier.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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