Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
section hand

section hand

8.2
A worker who fixes and looks after a part of a railroad track
  • noun
  • Jargon
translation icon : trabajador de sección
  • The section hand inspected the tracks every morning.

Examples

  • Several section hands were hired for the summer.

  • Every day, the section hand inspected the tracks for wear and tear to prevent accidents.

  • A photograph of a section hand repairing tracks hangs in the old railway station.

  • In the early 1900s, being a section hand was a tough but steady job.

  • The section hand reported for duty every morning to inspect the rails.

  • As a dedicated section hand, he was responsible for ensuring the railroad tracks were safe and well-maintained.

  • The crew relied on their skilled section hand to swiftly fix any issues along the railroad track.

Synonyms

railroader
vssection hand
  • US
1 4.8

A person who works for a railroad, for example on trains or helping run it

has a focused role maintaining a specific stretch of track with a crew
trackman
vssection hand
  • US
8.1

A person who maintains and inspects railway tracks for safety

works as part of a crew assigned to a specific stretch of railroad
platelayer
vssection hand
  • Archaic
9.9

A railway worker who lays and repairs train tracks

maintains a stretch of railroad as part of routine upkeep
tracklayer
vssection hand
  • US
7.7

A worker who builds and fixes rails that trains run on

works within a crew maintaining and inspecting a stretch of railroad

Surface Forms

section hand singular
section hands plural

Morphology

section + hand

The meaning is directly compositional: 'section' (a part of something) + 'hand' (a worker) yields a worker responsible for a particular section (here, of railway track). This follows common English compounding and occupational patterns (e.g., 'deckhand', 'farmhand'), so a B1 learner who knows the constituents can reliably infer the meaning.

Etymology

Section hand comes from old railway work: a section was a short part of the track and a hand was a worker who used hand tools to fix rails. So, Section hand means 'a worker who looks after and repairs one part of a railroad track'.