signal worker
- noun
- /ˈsɪɡnəl ˈwɜrkər/
- Jargon
:
trabajador de señales
- Due to fog, the signal worker had to be extra vigilant to prevent accidents.
Examples
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After a long day in the yard, the signal worker checked the last signal before going home.
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The signal worker ensured that the tracks were set correctly for the incoming train.
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The signal worker adjusted the lights for the train.
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Many signal workers ensure safety on the tracks.
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The signal worker carefully adjusted the railway signals to ensure safe passage for the trains.
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After completing his training, the signal worker was responsible for monitoring the signals in the busy yard.
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Every day, the signal worker reported to the control center to manage the signaling systems.
Synonyms
2
8.1
A person who operates signals and switches for trains
1
7.9
A person who sets which railway track a train uses
1
6.5
A person who sends and reads messages using hands or flags
A woman who tells trains when to stop or go and moves track switches in a rail yard
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'a worker who operates and maintains signals' is directly derivable from combining 'signal' (a device or transmission carrying information) with 'worker' (a person employed to do a job). The noun+noun compound pattern 'X worker' is a common and transparent compositional construction in English (and in many other languages), so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would readily infer the MWE meaning.
Etymology
Signal worker is the name for the person who works with signals on the railway. Long ago these people stood beside the tracks and used flags, lights or levers to signal trains, so the words signal and worker together describe 'a person who controls signals on a railway'.