gripman

[ grip-muhn ]

/ ˈgrɪp mən /

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noun, plural grip·men.

a worker on a cable car who operates the grip, which, by grasping or releasing the moving cable, starts or stops the car.

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Origin of gripman

An Americanism dating back to 1880–85; grip + -man

He said airlines wouldn’t hire him for flying jobs, and he supported his family as a trolley gripman.
Melvin Van Peebles, fiercely independent filmmaker, dies at 89|Adam Bernstein|September 22, 2021|Washington Post
A cable-car, with clanging bell, was bearing down upon it with a speed which the gripman seemed powerless to check.
Prisons and Prayer: Or a Labor of Love|Elizabeth Ryder Wheaton
Her neck was no bigger than a gripman's wrist and she had a nose that stood right out from her face almost an eighth of an inch.
The Slim Princess|George Ade
The gripman usually jerks his thumb over his shoulder and indicates the next car, which is three miles away.
Last Words|Stephen Crane

Towards evening, when the tides of travel set northward, it is curious to see how the gripman and conductor reverse their tempers.
Last Words|Stephen Crane
From the forward end you hear the gripman uttering shrill whoops and running over citizens.
Last Words|Stephen Crane