sandman

[ sand-man ]

See synonyms for sandman on Thesaurus.com

noun,plural sand·men.

the man who, in fairy tales or folklore, puts sand in the eyes of children to make them sleepy.

Origin of sandman

First recorded in 1860–65; sand + man

Words Nearby sandman

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use sandman in a sentence

"It makes my blood run cold to hear him," whispered the sandman.
Auriol | W. Harrison Ainsworth
"I don't half like it," replied the sandman, his teeth chattering with apprehension.
Auriol | W. Harrison Ainsworth
"Vith all my 'art," replied the sandman, searching the clothes of the victim.
Auriol | W. Harrison Ainsworth
"That's a view o' the case worthy of an Old Bailey lawyer," replied the sandman.
Auriol | W. Harrison Ainsworth
"Exactly the case with the t'other," whispered the Tinker to the sandman.
Auriol | W. Harrison Ainsworth

British Dictionary definitions for sandman

sandman

/ (ˈsændˌmæn) /

nounplural -men

(in folklore) a magical person supposed to put children to sleep by sprinkling sand in their eyes

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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