commissionaire

noun

com·mis·sion·aire kə-ˌmi-shə-ˈner

chiefly British

: a uniformed attendant

Word History

Etymology

earlier, "person charged with or seeking a commission (as a messenger or porter)," borrowed from French, going back to Middle French commissionere commissioner

First Known Use

1895, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of commissionaire was in 1895

See more words from the same year

Cite this Entry

Style

“Commissionaire.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/commissionaire. Accessed 18 Dec. 2024.

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