linesman
Americannoun
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linesmen
plural
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Sports.
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an official, as in tennis and soccer, who assists the referee.
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Football. an official who marks the distances gained and lost in the progress of play and otherwise assists the referee and field judge.
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Ice Hockey. either of two officials who assist the referee by watching for icing, offside, and substitution violations and fouls and by conducting face-offs.
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noun
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an official who helps the referee or umpire in various sports, esp by indicating when the ball has gone out of play
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US and Canadian name: lineman. a person who installs, maintains, or repairs telephone or electric-power lines
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of linesman
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
It also came after the Kings got a fortunate break, with a Colorado clearing pass striking a linesman, leading to a faceoff in the Kings’ offensive end.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 22, 2026
The linesman is just in front of it and you can clearly see how much he is in the penalty box.
From BBC ● Feb. 14, 2026
Binnington, who took the historic puck from Ovechkin's goal and pocked it before a linesman retrieved it from him, was pulled after surrendering four goals in just under 30 minutes.
From Barron's ● Nov. 6, 2025
It’s year No. 52 officiating high school sports for Louis Vargas, who worked last week as the head linesman during the Sherman Oaks Notre Dame-Bishop Alemany game.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 2, 2025
The Lightning made a run, took a shot, and appeared to score, but the linesman raised his flag to signify offside.
From "Outcasts United: An American Town, a Refugee Team, and One Woman's Quest to Make a Difference" by Warren St. John
"In, out... there's no mistake, nothing happening. Definitely you've got to feel for those linesmen and those people. That's a bit tough for them, but it's pretty black or white with the calling."
From BBC ● Jun. 30, 2025
Copley also skated out to accept John Gibson’s invitation for a center-ice goalie fight, but linesmen intervened first.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 17, 2023
Workers let go include vegetation management inspectors, tree trimmers, electrical linesmen, and pole testers — all work that is critical to wildfire mitigation.
From Salon ● Dec. 17, 2022
The city’s Tennis Association said stakeholders from umpires and linesmen to equipment makers were losing significant revenue from the closures.
From Reuters ● Mar. 21, 2022
The Grinnell linesmen, battered from the pounding they had received, dug their cleats into the turf and held for three downs with Pomeroy being able to gain but two yards.
From Interference and Other Football Stories by Harold Morrow Sherman
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
