lineman

[ lahyn-muhn ]

See synonyms for lineman on Thesaurus.com

noun,plural line·men.

Also linesman. a person who installs or repairs telephone, telegraph, or other wires.
Football. one of the players in the line, as a center, guard, tackle, or end.

Surveying. a person who marks the positions of a survey mark with a range pole or the like.

Origin of lineman

First recorded in 1855–60; line¹ + -man

usage note For lineman

See -man.

Other words from lineman

un·der·line·man, noun, plural un·der·line·men.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use lineman in a sentence

Arkansas linemen get plenty of exercise to stay healthy for now.
College Football Fattens Players Up and Then Abandons Them | Evin Demirel | October 4, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Behind them, sure of protection now, a dozen linemen came dragging their hose.
Harper's Round Table, August 20, 1895 | Various
He waved the linemen toward the Chambers goal and the grand-stand burst into a peal of triumph.
Left Tackle Thayer | Ralph Henry Barbour
The assistant superintendent started that evening with two linemen on a hand-car to find that “ground.”
The Modern Railroad | Edward Hungerford
He strolled leisurely along, looking in store windows, or pausing to observe the linemen stringing the wires.
Bart Keene's Hunting Days | Allen Chapman

There is great temptation for linemen to “take a day off” when a long pass is called in which they are not likely to figure.
The Forward Pass in Football | Elmer Berry

British Dictionary definitions for lineman

lineman

/ (ˈlaɪnmən) /

nounplural -men

another name for platelayer
a person who does the chaining, taping, or marking of points for a surveyor

Australian and NZ (formerly) the member of a beach life-saving team who controlled the line used to help drowning swimmers and surfers
American football a member of the row of players who start each down positioned on either side of the line of scrimmage
US and Canadian another word for linesman (def. 2)

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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