longshoreman

American  

[lawng-shawr-muhn, -shohr-, long-] / ˈlɔŋˈʃɔr mən, -ˈʃoʊr-, ˈlɒŋ- /

noun

plural

longshoremen

1. a person employed on the wharves of a port, as in loading and unloading vessels.

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longshoreman British  

/ ˈlɒŋˌʃɔːmən /

noun

1. Also called (in Britain and certain other countries): docker.  a man employed in the loading or unloading of ships

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Usage

What does longshoreman mean? A longshoreman is a person who works loading and unloading shipping vessels at a dock.A longshoreman can also be called a docker or dockworker. The work of a longshoreman is called longshoring. Although the profession has traditionally been done primarily by men, women also do the job, and one can be called a longshorewoman, a woman longshoreman, or a female longshoreman.Example: When I worked as a longshoreman, I made good money, but the work was exhausting.

Gender

See -man.

Etymology

Origin of longshoreman

First recorded in 1805–15; longshore + -man

Example Sentences

John Montagna is ready to move into a new RV park in the Green Meadows West section of Harbor City, near his job as a longshoreman.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 1, 2025

In 1976, she married Walter Williams, a longshoreman and union activist.

From Seattle Times • Jun. 11, 2023

The show, which opens at the Waterfront Museum on Friday, follows Marty, a longshoreman in 1950 who fights against the union corruption that controlled Red Hook’s waterfront.

From New York Times • Jun. 9, 2023

He quit school and left home in his mid-teens, working as a dishwasher and longshoreman, among other jobs, to save money for acting school.

From Washington Post • Sep. 16, 2022

She grabbed a passing longshoreman by the sleeve.

From "A Game of Thrones" by George R.R. Martin