brakeman

American  

[breyk-muhn] / ˈbreɪk mən /

noun

brakemen plural

1. a railroad worker who assists the conductor in the operation of a train.

2. brake.

---

brakeman British  

/ ˈbreɪkmən /

noun

1. a crew member of a goods or passenger train. His duties include controlling auxiliary braking power and inspecting the train

2. the person at the back of a two- or four-man bobsleigh, who operates the brake

---

Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

noun

• brakemen
  plural

Etymology

Origin of brakeman

First recorded in 1825–35; brake ¹ + -man

Example Sentences

“It’s terrifying. You’re going super, super fast. As a brakeman you can’t see what’s going on because your head is down,” she said.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 19, 2026

Mr. Andre initially found it so difficult to support himself that he worked as a freight brakeman and conductor on the Pennsylvania Railroad in New Jersey.

From New York Times • Jan. 24, 2024

Helping the four-tonne carriage to make the journey will be Martin Oates, who will be the carriage's brakeman on coronation day.

From BBC • Apr. 9, 2023

Teaming with brakeman Kaysha Love, Humphries is fifth at the midway point in 2:03.38 — nearly six-tenths of a second away from what currently is the bronze position.

From Fox News • Feb. 18, 2022

But every time my eyes closed, I saw the phantom brakeman with hamburger meat for a face, swinging a ghostly lantern through tree branches like skeletons.

From "A Long Way from Chicago" by Richard Peck