1. [n]  dark sweet ale brewed from black malt
2. [n]  someone who guards the entrance to a building
3. [n]  a railroad employee who assists passengers (especially on sleeping cars)
4. [n]  a person employed to carry luggage and supplies
5. [n]  American writer of short stories whose pen name was O. Henry (1862-1910)
6. [n]  United States composer and lyricist of musical comedies (1891-1946)
7. [n]  United States writer of novels and short stories (1890-1980)
8. [v]  act as a porter; carry as a porter

1. \Por"ter\, n. [F. portier, L. portarius, from porta a
   gate, door. See {Port} a gate.]
   A man who has charge of a door or gate; a doorkeeper; one who
   waits at the door to receive messages. --Shak.
   
         To him the porter openeth.               --John x. 3.
   
   

2. \Por"ter\, n. [F. porteur, fr. porter to carry, L.
   portare. See {Port} to carry.]
   1. A carrier; one who carries or conveys burdens, luggage,
      etc.; for hire.
   
   2. (Forging) A bar of iron or steel at the end of which a
      forging is made; esp., a long, large bar, to the end of
      which a heavy forging is attached, and by means of which
      the forging is lifted and handled in hammering and
      heating; -- called also {porter bar}.
   
   3. A malt liquor, of a dark color and moderately bitter
      taste, possessing tonic and intoxicating qualities.
   
   Note: Porter is said to be so called as having been first
         used chiefly by the London porters, and this
         application of the word is supposed to be not older
         than 1750.
   
   

a gate-keeper (2 Sam. 18:26; 2 Kings 7:10; 1 Chr. 9:21; 2 Chr. 8:14). Of the Levites, 4,000 were appointed as porters by David (1 Chr. 23:5), who were arranged according to their families (26:1-19) to take charge of the doors and gates of the temple. They were sometimes employed as musicians (1 Chr. 15:18).