Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun One who drives an electrically powered streetcar, locomotive, or subway train.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun One whose business it is to drive a motor-car or automobile vehicle.
  • noun A man who operates a motor; specifically, one who operates a railway motor.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun archaic A man who controls a motor.
  • noun an operator of a motor vehicle, especially of a streetcar or subway train.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun dated A man who controls a motor.
  • noun A person who operates a motor vehicle.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun the operator of streetcar

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

motor +‎ -man

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Examples

  • The next one slowed down for him; but all at once it started up again more swift than the wind, he says; and he could see that the motorman was a coward about something, because he looked greatly frightened when he flew by the spot.

    Ma Pettengill Harry Leon Wilson 1903

  • He calls the motorman only to be answered by an unknown man who claims to have hijacked the train with a group of heavily armed men and to be holding the passengers hostage.

    unknown title 2009

  • On the other side a brewery waggon was locking with the coal waggon, and an east-bound Kearny Street car, wildly clanging its gong, the motorman shouting defiance at the crossing policeman, was dashing forward to complete the blockade.

    SOUTH OF THE SLOT 2010

  • On the other side a brewery wagon was locking with the coal wagon, and an east-bound Kearny-Street car, wildly clanging its gong, the motorman shouting defiance at the crossing policeman, was dashing forward to complete the blockade.

    SOUTH OF THE SLOT 2010

  • The second was taken at the University end of the OPT track, and the vague figure behind the glass is motorman Allan, a rather baffling fellow.

    All dressed up for the Old Pueblo Trolley booth 2009

  • The motorman, smashing helmets with his controller bar, was beaten into insensibility and dragged from his platform.

    SOUTH OF THE SLOT 2010

  • The motorman, smashing helmets with his controller bar, was beaten into insensibility and dragged from his platform.

    SOUTH OF THE SLOT 2010

  • They did not connect the couple with Jimmy, who sprang on the steps, crying to the motorman: — "Slam on the juice, old man, and beat it outa here!"

    Chapter 42 2010

  • A motorman, for example, must drive his train from one end of the line to another, no matter what his disposition may be on any morning.

    Henry J. Stern: To Do or Not to Do Henry J. Stern 2011

  • A nervous streetcar motorman clangs his bell for the high notes while a shivering coal truck driver pushes a lever delivering a claghorn bass arruughaa!

    ray foreman | strange horses, ray’s diner & buddha or no buddha « poetry dispatch & other notes from the underground 2009

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