torpedoman
1
8.9
A person who handles, fixes, and operates torpedoes on a ship or submarine
- noun
- /tɔrˈpiːdəmən/
- Archaic
:
torpedista
- As a torpedoman, she worked diligently to operate the equipment that launched the torpedoes during training drills.
Examples
-
Mike was a first-class torpedoman... ...in more ways than one.
-
Like that hero who knifed your torpedoman.
-
- Torpedoman Adams.
-
Torpedoman Harris was responsible for loading the torpedoes onto the submarine before their mission.
-
During the exercise, the torpedoman ensured that each torpedo was properly maintained and ready for use.
Surface Forms
torpedoman singular
torpedomans plural
Morphology
Etymology
Torpedoman is the word torpedo plus man, meaning a person who works with torpedoes. Torpedo comes from the Latin torpere, meaning 'to be numb', because a sea fish that could shock or numb people gave its name to the underwater weapon, and that is why a torpedoman is the person who handles those weapons.