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

See Examples For:

lineman linemen

And that does not factor in eight-time All-Pro defensive lineman Aaron Donald’s possible return from retirement.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026

Rams offensive lineman Alaric Jackson is not facing charges related to his arrest last month on suspicion of domestic violence, the Los Angeles City Attorney’s office confirmed.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 9, 2026

Researchers at Boston University's CTE Center made the diagnosis through a postmortem brain tissue analysis of the Dallas Cowboys' defensive lineman, who died aged 24.

From BBC ● Jul. 8, 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

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

The Royals now had six linemen who stood 6-foot-3 or taller and a dozen assistant coaches.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 28, 2026

Even compared to other offensive linemen, they tend to be cheap.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 10, 2026

Nacua, Young, defensive lineman Kobie Turner and offensive linemen Steve Avila and Warren McClendon Jr. and punter Ethan Evans are eligible for extensions.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 1, 2026

On Sunday, Darnold will be one of four former Trojans playing for the Seahawks, a group that includes defensive linemen Leonard Williams and Brandon Pili and linebacker Uchenna Nwosu.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 6, 2026

The next day three linemen arrived at Jon’s door.

From "Frightful's Mountain" by Jean Craighead George