# porter

/ˈpɔɹtɝ/ (US) · /pˈɔːtɐ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/porter
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 1. luggage carrier

noun · CEFR B1

a person whose job is to carry luggage for travelers at a hotel, airport, or train station.

For teachers: a person employed to carry luggage and other loads, especially in a railway station, airport, or hotel.

- The porter took our heavy suitcases up to our room as soon as we checked in.
- Upon our arrival at the terminal, a porter assisted us with our oversized trunks, navigating the crowded platform with impressive efficiency.

### 2. building caretaker

noun · CEFR B2 · British English

a person who guards the entrance of a large building, like a hospital or college, and helps visitors.

For teachers: an employee in charge of the entrance and maintenance of a large institution or residential building.

- If you lose your keys, you should ask the college porter for a spare set.
- The hospital porter directed the visitors toward the maternity ward before returning to his desk to monitor the security cameras.

### 4. software developer

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical

a person who adapts software so that it can work on a different type of computer or system.

For teachers: a programmer who performs the porting of software from one hardware or operating system environment to another.

- The lead porter spent months making sure the game worked perfectly on the new console.
- As a specialist porter, she was tasked with migrating the legacy database architecture to a modern cloud-based infrastructure.

## Examples

- The porter carried our heavy suitcases to the room.
- Upon arriving at the grand hotel, we were greeted by a porter who took our bags and showed us to the lobby.
- In the era of luxury rail travel, the role of the porter was essential for maintaining the seamless experience expected by first-class passengers.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.