wagon master

noun

1. wagon boss.

2. Also wagonmaster. a person hired or chosen to lead and guide a caravan of recreational vehicles, as campers, on a trip.

3. Facetious.,  any leader, chief, commander, or the like.

   the wagon master of the bill now before Congress.

Word History and Origins

Origin of wagon master¹

First recorded in 1635–45

Example Sentences

Poitier plays Buck, a wagon master and Union veteran trying to protect formerly enslaved people and Native Americans in the wake of the Civil War.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Krause is the wagon master, charged with commanding the entire convoy.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

A wagon master is confronted by a man he wounded years before in episodes from The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

The substantial introductory section is devoted solely to Ford—beginning with “Judge Priest,” continuing with “Young Mr. Lincoln,” ending with “Wagon Master”—and it’s something of a surprise in its modesty.

Read more on The New Yorker

Robison started as an assistant wagon master, but was promoted to California wagon master, then hired as national trails coordinator when the need became apparent in the face of multiple organizational challenges.

Read more on Washington Times