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motorman

motorman

3 8.1
A person who drives a tram or streetcar
  • noun
  • /ˈmoʊtərˌmæn/
  • Archaic
translation icon : conductor de tranvía
  • He was a streetcar motorman first.
  • subway motorman
  • motorman's coat
  • motorman's cabin

Examples

  • He was a motorman.

  • But the cable came off when the motorman put on the brakes.

  • Once a motorman, always a motorman.

  • I went to motorman school with Jerry Pollard.

  • Mrs. Miller liked the elegance of St. Charles Avenue, the moss-hung trees in the Garden District, even the dark green streetcars with their wicker seats and the bell that the motorman rang to clear the tracks ahead.

    Fiction book (1996)
  • The motorman skillfully navigated the busy urban streets as he drove the streetcar.

  • Every morning, the motorman made sure to check the braking system before starting his route.

  • As the motorman announced the next stop, passengers prepared to disembark from the tram.

Synonyms

driver
vsmotorman
1.0

A person who controls a car or bus

is specific to electric streetcars and trams rather than any vehicle
motorist
vsmotorman
64 2.1

A person who drives a car

is an operator of electric public streetcars rather than private cars
busman
vsmotorman
  • UK
2 5.5

A man who drives a bus as his job

is for operating electric streetcars or trams rather than buses
wheelman
vsmotorman
2 6.8

The main person who drives a car or boat for other people

is used for electric streetcars rather than general driving roles
wheelsman
vsmotorman
  • Formal
8.3

A person who drives a vehicle in a parade or formal event

is for everyday operation of electric trams not ceremonial steering

How Experienced

chief operating officer
  • Formal
15 4.9
motorman
  • Archaic
3 8.1
trainee
50 2.4

Surface Forms

motorman singular
motormen plural

Morphology

motorman = motor + man (transparent) = motor + man

Clear compound of 'motor' + 'man' meaning a person who operates a motor-driven vehicle; straightforward for learners familiar with both components.

Etymology

Motorman comes from motor ('a machine that moves') and man ('person'), originally naming the person who worked the moving tram or streetcar. So a motorman is someone who operates or drives a tram or streetcar.