messenger

plural messengers

1. One who brings messages.
2. The secretary bird.
3. The supporting member of an aerial cable (electric power or telephone or data).
4. lawA person appointed to perform certain ministerial duties under bankrupt and insolvent laws, such as to take charge of the estate of the bankrupt or insolvent.

   The Messenger under the joint Commission of Bankruptcy might have seized the Whole, if they had remained in their Warehouse

   (Can we date this quote?), James Burrow, Reports of Cases Adjudged in the Court of King's Bench

5. computingAn instant messenger program.

   The 4 primary messengers include ^([sic]) AOL Instant Messenger, ICQ, Yahoo! Messenger, and MSN Messenger.

   2006, United States. Congress. House. Committee on Energy and Commerce. Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, Sexual exploitation of children over the Internet, page 395

   1 more example

   Have them meet you on your favorite messenger program. IMs provide a means of instant chat without waiting on someone to respond back to you.

   2010, Tim Collins, A Woman's Guide to Internet Dating, A Male Perspective, page 49

6. figurativelyA forerunner or harbinger.

   a messenger of doom

7. A light scudding cloud preceding a storm.
8. A piece of paper, etc., blown up a string to a kite.
9. nauticalA light line with which a heavier line may be hauled e.g. from the deck of a ship to the pier.
10. geographyA weight dropped down a line to close a Nansen bottle.
11. ScotlandA messenger-at-arms.
12. bowlingA pin which travels across the pin deck to knock over another pin, usually for a strike.

present singular third person messengers · participle present messengering · participle past messengered · past messengered

1. transitiveTo send something by messenger.

   I'll messenger over the signed documents.

plural Messengers

1. A surname originating as an occupation for a messenger.
2. rareA male given name of historical usage.