linesman

[ lahynz-muhn ]

noun

, plural lines·men.

1. Sports.
   1. an official, as in tennis and soccer, who assists the referee.
   2. Football. an official who marks the distances gained and lost in the progress of play and otherwise assists the referee and field judge.
   3. 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.
2. lineman ( def 1 ).

linesman

/ ˈlaɪnzmən /

noun

1. an official who helps the referee or umpire in various sports, esp by indicating when the ball has gone out of play
2. a person who installs, maintains, or repairs telephone or electric-power lines US and Canadian namelineman

Word History and Origins

Origin of linesman¹

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

Example Sentences

Frank Lampard should have had a second for the Three Lions, but it was wrongfully disallowed by the linesman.

From The Daily Beast

This fact he had pointed out to Mr. Sefton, acting linesman for Lakeville, and the mistake had been corrected.

From Project Gutenberg

The fullback falls across the line, the ball gripped in his convulsive hold, just as the linesman's whistle blows.

From Project Gutenberg

Thus gradually cavalry became more numerous, and light infantry of all sorts more useful, than the old-fashioned linesman.

From Project Gutenberg

His command consisted of five riflemen, a telephonist, a linesman, and two stretcher-bearers.

From Project Gutenberg

Neale followed their eyes and saw a squat, swarthy, two-hundred-and-fifty-pound linesman rolling past them towards the Gym.

From Project Gutenberg