pointsman
a railway switchman.
a police officer who directs traffic, as at an intersection.
Origin of pointsman
1Words Nearby pointsman
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use pointsman in a sentence
The scenery of the pointsman is sufficiently ingenious to satisfy the cravings for sensation of a typical British audience.
The pointsman is likely to remain on the line of the Olympic bills for many a week to come.
The company says--he is--and the public says--he is; but I'm--a pointsman--and I know--better.
London's Heart | B. L. (Benjamin Leopold) FarjeonA pointsman's back straightened itself upright suddenly against a tramway standard by Mr Bloom's window.
Ulysses | James JoyceIn the meantime the pointsman had fled on foot to the next station, and telegraphed the startling news from there to Quetta.
General Gatacre | Beatrix Gatacre
British Dictionary definitions for pointsman
/ (ˈpɔɪntsˌmæn, -mən) /
a person who operates railway points: US and Canadian equivalent: switchman
a policeman or traffic warden on point duty
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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