Commissionaire

2 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Commissionaire \Com*mis`sion*aire"\, n. [F. commissionnaire. Cf.
     {Commissioner}.]
     1. One intrusted with a commission, now only a small
        commission, as an errand; esp., an attendant or
        subordinate employee in a public office, hotel, or the
        like.


  
     Note: The commissionaire familiar to European travelers
           performs miscellaneous services as a light porter,
           messenger, solicitor for hotels, etc.
           [Webster 1913 Suppl.]
  
     2. One of a corps of pensioned soldiers, as in London,
        employed as doorkeepers, messengers, etc.
        [Webster 1913 Suppl.]
  
     3. a uniformed doorman. [British]
        [WordNet 1.5] Commissional

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  commissionaire
       n : a uniformed doorman