lineman

American  

[lahyn-muhn] / ˈlaɪn mən /

noun

linemen plural

1. Also a person who installs or repairs telephone, telegraph, or other wires.

2. Football. one of the players in the line, as a center, guard, tackle, or end.

3. Surveying. a person who marks the positions of a survey mark with a range pole or the like.

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lineman British  

/ ˈlaɪnmən /

noun

1. another name for platelayer

2. a person who does the chaining, taping, or marking of points for a surveyor

3. (formerly) the member of a beach life-saving team who controlled the line used to help drowning swimmers and surfers

4. American football a member of the row of players who start each down positioned on either side of the line of scrimmage

5. another word for linesman

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Gender

See -man.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• underlineman
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• linemen
  plural

Etymology

Origin of lineman

First recorded in 1855–60; line ¹ + -man

Example Sentences

The defensive lineman was excited to join the team, and signed a contract paying £1,000 per game with a further £1,000 to be earned from games won.

From BBC • Jun. 16, 2026

A former Yale offensive lineman, he started his career as a high school football coach after an unsuccessful attempt to make the NFL and now describes himself as a “lifelong entrepreneur.”

From Salon • Jun. 11, 2026

Xavier Payne, a freshman offensive lineman at the University of Colorado, never went to a dance at his Orlando, Fla., high school.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 6, 2026

During similar situations in the past, the Rams awarded then record-breaking extensions to defensive lineman Aaron Donald, running back Todd Gurley and quarterback Jared Goff.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 2, 2026

Felipe Davila looping around a lineman thirty-five pounds heavier than he was to force the quarterback into an off-target throw.

From "Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, And A Dream" by H.G. Bissinger