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counterman

American  
[koun-ter-man] / ˈkaʊn tərˌmæn /

noun

countermen plural
  1. a person who waits on customers from behind a counter, as in a cafeteria.


Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

Etymology

Origin of counterman

First recorded in 1850–55; counter 1 + man

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

Before he moved in the late 1960s to San Francisco, where he started acting at the American Conservatory Theater, he worked as a counterman at several New York delicatessens.

From New York Times Apr. 10, 2023

During the day, the 43-year-old is a counterman at a motorcycle shop.

From Washington Post Sep. 21, 2018

Walk into Miller’s Paints in Bangor, in the north of the county, and there are two examples: the owner, Duane Miller, 80, and the counterman, Dalton Tucker, 20.

From The Guardian Jan. 20, 2018

But from your counter seat, you can observe the counterman make egg creams the old-fashioned way, by spritzing rapidly stirred cold milk and syrup with a jet of seltzer from a bottle.

From Los Angeles Times Aug. 1, 2014

Mickey the counterman heard him and left off making a Coca-Cola.

From "The Cricket in Times Square" by George Selden

Harvey was known for his Yiddish-speaking Puerto Rican countermen and for serving deliciously seasoned chopped meat on white bread.

From New York Times Nov. 23, 2016

The politician asked the countermen at Town Hall to recreate the sandwich.

From New York Times Apr. 14, 2015

Mr. Addis and his two longtime countermen, Lewis Spada and Alex Ortiz, provide high-end, exceptional service in a low-key, familiar way.

From New York Times Mar. 5, 2011

It would be "inconvenient" to evacuate parts of cities, but Geiger countermen would be around to spot safe areas.

From Time Magazine Archive

Arnie Weinstein took to frequenting the townie bars, where he attempted to discuss Marxist theory with hostile countermen.

From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt

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