Standard Lemma guide
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
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No pronunciation record was provided for this word.
noun
A member of the Royal Military Police a unit in the British army.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: UK
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
A porter in a US railway station.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: US
Topics: rail-transport, railways, transport
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
A European goldfinch, Eurasian goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: UK, archaic
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
A type of evil goblin or imp.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: UK
Topics: arts, folklore, history, human-sciences, literature, media, publishing, sciences
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
A breed of poultry.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
a porter who helps passengers with their baggage at a railroad station
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: porter
noun
a member of the military police in Britain
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: military policeman, MP
History
From red + cap. In sense of "porter", 1890s US; compare contemporary Japanese 赤帽 (akabō), Chinese 小紅帽 /小红帽 (Xiǎo Hóng Mào). On Labor Day, 1890, John Williams, an African-American railway porter, tied a red ribbon to his black uniform cap to stand out from the crowd at Grand Central Terminal. The strategy was so successful that it was soon adopted by others in the profession, leading to the synecdochic use of redcap as a term for all railway porters.
Across languages
2 source translations are retained for this English entry.
