letterman

American  

[let-er-man, -muhn] / ˈlɛt ərˌmæn, -mən /

noun

plural

lettermen

1. a person who has earned a letter in an interscholastic or intercollegiate activity, especially a sport.

---

Etymology

Origin of letterman

First recorded in 1715–25; letter ¹ + man, -man

Example Sentences

“It used to be really alive,” said Hair, who wore his green letterman jacket from Bonita High School in La Verne.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 16, 2023

From there, Grant played football, basketball and baseball at the University of Minnesota, a nine-time letterman who was drafted by both the NBA and NFL.

From Washington Post • Mar. 11, 2023

They wore plush Santa hats and 50-year-old letterman jackets.

From Washington Post • Dec. 18, 2022

Not sure I’m going to be rocking a faux letterman jacket in my 50s.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 14, 2022

Jefferson was one of the “cool” eighth-graders who never took off his letterman jacket and always had a crowd of girls following him around.

From "The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street" by Karina Yan Glaser