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definitions

gripman

[grip-muh n]
noun, plural grip·men.
  1. a worker on a cable car who operates the grip, which, by grasping or releasing the moving cable, starts or stops the car.

Origin of gripman

An Americanism dating back to 1880–85; grip + -man
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for gripman

Historical Examples of gripman

  • The conductor owes his position to her, and the gripman's mother does her laundry.

    Last Words

    Stephen Crane

  • A little girl came out with a tin pail, the gripman's dinner.

  • They heard the kindly tones of the gripman talking to his children.

  • "You'd better hang on; the gripman is mad tonight," Mary explained.

  • The gripman usually jerks his thumb over his shoulder and indicates the next car, which is three miles away.

    Last Words

    Stephen Crane