usher

Etymology

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.

noun

1. A person, in a church, cinema etc., who escorts people to their seats.
2. A male escort at a wedding.
3. A doorkeeper in a courtroom.
4. (obsolete) An assistant to a head teacher or schoolteacher; an assistant teacher.
5. (dated, derogatory) Any schoolteacher.

verb

1. To guide people to their seats.
   Needless to say, one's seat must be booked in advance and a platoon of urbane officials, one to each door of the train, awaits passengers to usher them to their seats and relieve them of their bulkier baggage. 1960 March, G. Freeman Allen, “Europe's most luxurious express - the "Settebello"”, in Trains Illustrated, page 140
2. To accompany or escort (someone).
   Margaret was astonished at the magnificence of the apartments into which she was ushered. 1898, John Lothrop Motley, The Rise of the Dutch Republic, page 509
3. (figurative) To precede; to act as a forerunner or herald.
   Thus the Harvard poets and wits ushered The New England Courant out of existence. 1912, Elizabeth Christine Cook, Literary Influences in Colonial Newspapers, 1704-1750, page 31
4. (figurative, transitive) To lead or guide somewhere.
   McCoist unexpectedly ushered back a defender of his own with Kirk Broadfoot taking over from Steven Whittaker. There was, of course, another change, Kyle Bartley stepping in at centre-half to replace suspended Dorin Goian. December 29, 2011, Keith Jackson, “SPL: Celtic 1 Rangers 0”, in Daily Record