frontliner

American  

[fruhnt-lahy-ner] / ˈfrʌntˌlaɪ nər /

noun

1. an essential worker whose job depends on in-person interactions and may involve some risk; a frontline worker, especially in policing, healthcare, emergency services, public transit, grocery, warehouse, and delivery work.

   The hand-printed sign outside the emergency clinic read, “Thank you, frontliners!”

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Etymology

Origin of frontliner

First recorded in 1970–75; in 1895–1900 for an earlier sense “a person in the forefront”; front line ( def. ) + -er ¹ ( def. )

Example Sentences

Famously a nurse before she went into standup, Brand snorts at a comparison between her character and Edie Falco's Nurse Jackie – also lauded as a gritty portrayal of a medical frontliner.

From The Guardian • Oct. 18, 2010

Niemi signed as a free agent in 2008 and was viewed as insurance for frontliner Cristobal Huet.

From Seattle Times • May 24, 2010