lineman

American  

[lahyn-muhn] / ˈlaɪn mən /

noun

plural

linemen

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

• underlineman noun

Etymology

Origin of lineman

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

Example Sentences

The Chargers, meanwhile, take an offensive lineman to address the need that haunted them all last season after they were ravaged by injuries up front.

From Los Angeles Times

Even better, he was the only offensive lineman of his caliber on the market.

From The Wall Street Journal

A former high-school football lineman and father of three, Morgan turned an early rejection—one sentence saying “no thanks”—from Chili’s into a three-decade restaurant career.

From The Wall Street Journal

And his market figures to be especially robust not only because of his talent, but also because he’s by far the best available offensive lineman.

From The Wall Street Journal

They traded a couple of picks, including a second-rounder, to acquire defensive lineman Leonard Williams from the Giants.

From The Wall Street Journal