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Glite Dictionary
coalman

coalman

9.6
A man who delivered coal to houses and shops in the past
  • noun
  • /ˈkəʊlmən/
  • Archaic
translation icon : carbonero
  • The children waved to the coalman as he drove his cart down the snowy street.

Examples

  • The coalman delivered a heavy sack of coal to our house every Monday morning.

  • The coalman arrived early in the morning.

  • In old British towns, the coalman was a familiar figure during winter months.

  • Many coalmen worked hard during the winter months.

  • The coalman arrived early in the morning to deliver a sack of coal to the house.

  • In the winter, the coalman made his rounds, ensuring every home had enough fuel for warmth.

  • My grandfather used to be a coalman who supplied fuel to many families in the village.

Synonyms

deliveryman
vscoalman
5 1.4

A person who brings packages or food to people's homes

is limited to coal deliveries rather than many kinds of goods
roundsman
vscoalman
  • UK
1 8.5

A person who visits buildings regularly to deliver goods or check equipment

focuses on coal delivery without routine inspection duties
carman
vscoalman
  • Archaic
1 9.9

A person who drives a horse cart to move goods

focuses on coal transport specifically rather than general cart driving
coalwoman
vscoalman
  • Archaic
9.9

A woman who delivers coal to homes or businesses

is the same role but denotes a male worker instead
coal seller
vscoalman
  • Archaic
4.2

A person who delivers coal to homes or factories for money

focuses on delivering coal without the sales aspect

Surface Forms

coalman singular
coalmen plural

Morphology

coalman = coal + man (transparent) = coal + man

A straightforward compound 'coal' + 'man' meaning a man who deals with coal (deliverer), easily inferable by learners.

Etymology

The word coalman is simply coal + man. A coal is a 'black rock that burns' used for heat, and man means 'person', so a coalman was someone who sold or delivered coal to warm houses.