foreman

[ fawr-muhn, fohr- ]

noun

, plural fore·men.

1. a person in charge of a particular department, group of workers, etc., as in a factory or the like.
2. the member of a jury selected to preside over and speak for all the jurors on the panel.

Foreman

¹

/ ˈfɔːmən /

noun

1. ForemanGeorge1949MUSSPORT AND GAMES: boxer George . born 1949, US boxer: world heavyweight champion (1973–74); retired in 1977 but re-entered the ring in 1987 and won the heavyweight championship in 1994 at age 45

foreman

²

/ ˈfɔːmən /

noun

1. a person, often experienced, who supervises other workmen Gender-neutral formsupervisor
2. law the principal juror, who presides at the deliberations of a jury Female equivalentforewoman

Gender Note

See -man.

Derived Forms

• ˈforemanˌship, noun

Other Words From

• foreman·ship noun
• sub·foreman noun plural subforemen
• sub·foreman·ship noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of foreman¹

1175–1225; Middle English forman chief servant, steward. See fore-, man

Example Sentences

A May 2014 Slate article by Sam Kean details the tragic changes he suffered “from a virtuous foreman to a sociopathic drifter.”

From The Daily Beast

Then going to my seat and seeing Jack and John Foreman and seeing them both very moved.

From The Daily Beast

You got back-cover blurbs on your new book from James McPherson, Amanda Foreman, and Doris Kearns Goodwin.

From The Daily Beast

One was Joe Bamberger, the foreman of the composing room, and the other was Joe Callahan, my assistant as city editor.

From The Daily Beast

No world champion other than George Foreman had fought to defend his title when over the age of 40.

From The Daily Beast

The foreman's immense voice, explaining machines and tools, caused physical vibrations in her.

From Project Gutenberg

She was in a dream of oily odours and monstrous iron constructions, dominated by the grand foreman: and Edwin was in the dream.

From Project Gutenberg

In his old age he had married the eighteen-year-old daughter of M. Ougby, his late foreman.

From Project Gutenberg

He had sent his most trusted foreman to his own beautiful home, to superintend matters there.

From Project Gutenberg

He was sent to Paris where, under Leclercq, he learned the printer's trade and finally became a foreman.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• superintendent
• supervisor