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wheelman

[ weel-muhn, hweel- ]
/ ˈwil mən, ˈʰwil- /
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noun, plural wheel·men.
Also wheels·man [weelz-muhn, hweel-] /ˈwilz mən, ˈʰwil-/ . a helmsperson or steersperson.
a rider of a bicycle, tricycle, or the like.
Slang.
  1. a driver, especially a chauffeur: The mobster's wheelman was also his bodyguard.
  2. a person who drives the getaway car in a holdup or robbery.
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Origin of wheelman

An Americanism dating back to 1860–65; wheel + -man
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use wheelman in a sentence

  • I directed the wheel man to port the helm, so as to throw the Sylvania up into the wind under the stern of the pilot-boat.

    Up the River|Oliver Optic

British Dictionary definitions for wheelman

wheel man

noun
a cyclist
Also called: wheelsman US a helmsman
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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