towerman

[ tou-er-muhn ]

/ ˈtaʊ ər mən /

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noun, plural tow·er·men.

Railroads. a person who works in a switch tower and, by means of a signal box, directs the movement of trains.

Aviation. an air-traffic controller.

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Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of towerman

An Americanism dating back to 1890–95; tower¹ + -man

Words nearby towerman

tower bolt, tower crane, towered, Tower Hamlets, towering, towerman, tower-mill, Tower of London, tower of silence, tower of strength, tower wagon

How to use towerman in a sentence

If the towerman set those switches and signals 319 times in the course of a day, they must be set absolutely correct 319 times.
The Modern Railroad|Edward Hungerford
But the towerman at Middleport said that he could not move the siding-switch there; it was packed in with ice and snow.
The Modern Railroad|Edward Hungerford
Eight times that towerman tried there in the midst of the storm to open that switch and eight times he reported failure.
The Modern Railroad|Edward Hungerford
He also asked the towerman to telegraph ahead to Dover for a substitute engineer.
Ralph on the Engine|Allen Chapman

The point of convergence is known to the towerman and all the other workers as the “throat” of the yard.
The Modern Railroad|Edward Hungerford