Courier

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈkʊ.ɹi.ə/

Definitions

1. A person or company that transports and delivers messages, packages, or documents from one place to another
2. A professional or business that specializes in the quick transportation and delivery of goods, messages, or important documents from one location to another
3. An individual or entity engaged in the swift movement and delivery of packages, messages, or documents across various locations

Etymology: "Courier" arrived in English by two routes that converged. One was Middle English "corour" and "currour", borrowed from Old French "coreor", a runner or messenger formed from the verb "corir", meaning "to run". The other was Middle English "courier" itself, taken from Middle French "courrier", which came from Italian "corriere", a messenger who runs. Both trace back to the same idea of someone who runs from place to place, so the two streams merged into one word that meant the same thing. The meaning has stayed close to its origin. A courier was originally a person on foot or horseback carrying news, letters, or orders, and the speed implied in the word is literal: the messenger was the one who ran. Over time the same root gave the word its current sense of anyone, or any firm, that carries packages and documents from one place to another.

Synonyms: messenger, delivery, transporter, bearer, runner

Antonyms: receiver, acceptor, client, recipient, addressee