purser

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   a senior crew member on a passenger ship or aircraft responsible for passengers and administrative matters

   The purser helped the family change cabins after the leak.

2. 2
   noun

   historically, a ship's officer responsible for money, provisions, and accounts

   The purser entered every barrel of provisions in the ship's ledger.

Formed from purse + the agent suffix -er. The purser was originally the officer who kept a ship's purse and accounts. As passenger travel developed, the role expanded to encompass supplies, administration, and passenger welfare on ships and later aircraft.

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