A porter is someone whose job is to carry luggage, bags, or other loads for people. You'll find porters at train stations, airports, and hotels, helping travelers move their heavy suitcases and belongings. Mountain porters carry supplies up steep trails where vehicles can't go, sometimes hauling equipment for climbers attempting to scale peaks like Mount Everest.

Porters have been essential workers throughout history, making travel and transportation possible before modern conveniences like luggage carts and elevators. At a fancy hotel, a porter might carry your bags to your room and show you around. At a train station in the 1800s, porters helped passengers board trains and managed their trunks and cargo.

The word can also refer to a doorkeeper or gatekeeper, especially in British English. A school porter might manage the building's entrance and help with various tasks around campus.

Whether carrying bags or watching doors, a porter's job centers on helping others move through spaces more easily by doing the heavy lifting that would otherwise slow everyone down.