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doorman

doorman

106 1.2
A person who stands at a building entrance to greet visitors and check who can enter
  • noun
  • /ˈdɔːrmən/
translation icon : portero
  • Our doorman will be happy to assist you, ma'am.

That's the only time in my entire career as a doorman where we couldn't stay.

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Examples

  • And I was the head doorman at a club in Erith.

  • Darcy was handed out of the cab by the doorman, entered Le Cirque, and felt herself begin to unwind.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • I am a doorman at a luxury hotel.

  • When she got to the office building, the doorman opened the door and wished her good morning.

  • There's also a doorman on duty from four to midnight here, so you don't have to worry about coming in late.

  • Marissa left her car with the doorman at the Omni Parker House Hotel, slipping him a five-dollar bill.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • Downstairs, I asked the pompously uniformed doorman for the shortest route to the jogging path that rimmed the bay.

    Fiction book (1994)
  • When she got to the office building, the doorman opened the door and wished her good morning.

  • Our doorman will be happy to assist you, ma'am.

  • There's also a doorman on duty from four to midnight here, so you don't have to worry about coming in late.

Synonyms

security guard
vsdoorman
210 1.3

A person who watches and protects a building or people to stop stealing and trouble

is focused on entrance oversight for a building rather than broad security
watchman
vsdoorman
28 4.1

A person who guards a building or land, usually at night

is used for entrance attending at varied times not only quiet hours
porter
vsdoorman
  • UK
16 4.3

A person who guards a building entrance and checks visitors

focuses on guarding and supervising rather than assisting visitors
night watchman
vsdoorman
11 3.2

A person who guards a place at night

serves at entrances at any time rather than only at night
doorkeeper
vsdoorman
1 2.8

A person who guards a building entrance and controls who can enter

is the common formal term for guarding important entrances
door guard
vsdoorman
1 2.5

A person who stands at an entrance to check people entering

is the general term focusing on entrance attending rather than wider security
hall porter
vsdoorman
  • UK
1 6.5

A person who works at a building entrance and helps visitors in hotels or university halls

is more about admission and service rather than pure guarding
doorwoman
vsdoorman
4.2

A woman who guards the entrance to a building

is identical in meaning but is the male or neutral form
gateman
vsdoorman
  • Archaic
4.6

A person who guards a gate and controls who goes in and out

focuses on guarding building entrances rather than outdoor entry points
door bitch
vsdoorman
  • Offensive
9.9

A person who checks people at a club or party and decides who can enter, often an informal rude word

is a formal building entrance role rather than an informal event job

How Authoritative

bouncer
64 4.3
security guard
210 1.3
doorkeeper
1 2.8
doorman
106 1.2
attendant
136 2.8

Surface Forms

doorman singular
doormen plural

Morphology

doorman = door + man (transparent) = door + man

The meaning is a straightforward compound: a man who works at or attends a building's door.

Etymology

Doorman comes from two simple English words, door and man. It literally means 'a man at a door' who greets, checks, or guards people entering a building, which is exactly what a doorman does.