gangsmann.
/ˈɡaŋzmən/, U.S. /ˈɡæŋzmən/ 1. A dock porter; a member of a company of riverside workers.
ΘΚΠ
society > occupation and work > worker > workers according to type of work > manual or industrial worker > worker in specific place > [noun] > at docks
gangsman1740
wharf-man1848
roustabout1860
matey1865
watersider1867
rouster1870
docker1887
wharf-labourer1890
wharf-lumper1906
wharfie1912
docksman1921
1740 Gen. Evening Post 15 May A Waterside Gangsman..unhappily fell into the River at Billingsgate Dock and was drown'd.
1779 Town & Country Mag. Jan. 52/2 A letter from on board the York East Indiaman, which is on shore in Margate-roads, says, that they have plenty of gangsmen at work in taking out the cargo.
1843 J. C. Platt in C. Knight London V. cvii. 102 Watermen, lightermen, and City-porters called gangsmen, were equally active.
1867 Rep. Select Comm. Fire Protection 207/2 in Parl. Papers (H.C. 471) X. 1 In the Liverpool Docks, I have no doubt that, in addition to the police, they have got a large number of warehousemen and gangs-men who are quite ready to run up without waiting for the fire bell.
1917 Art World 2 122/1 The Russia of the peasant, the Volga gangsman and the moujik plowman.
1955 T. S. Ashton Econ. Hist. Eng.: 18th Cent. vii. 208 The mates of the West Indiamen had a right to the sweepings of sugar and coffee from the hold of the ship; the gangsmen and coopers established a claim to the drainings of molasses and spilt sugar.
1991 P. Linebaugh London Hanged v. 167 On the river front the tacklehouse contractors and the ticket gangsmen entered a price war of competitive fee reduction.
2. A person who oversees (and sometimes also assembles) a gang of labourers; a foreman.
ΘΚΠ
society > occupation and work > worker > workers according to status > [noun] > overseer or foreman
stewarda1400
surveyorc1440
supervisorc1454
overlookera1513
workmaster1525
supervisora1529
foreman1574
superintendent1575
overman1606
headman1725
overseer1766
gang leader1775
hagmaster1797
maistry1798
gangsman1803
kangany1817
capataz1826
gangman1830
ganger1836
gaffer1841
gang boss1863
ramrod1881
charge-man1885
mandor1885
captain1886
overganger1887
ephor1890
pusher1901
gangster1913
line manager1960
1803 W. Tatham Rep. Impediments Thames 122 These companies were subdivided into five gangs of twelve men each, commanded by a gangsman.
1843 Penny Mag. 12 Aug. 309/2 Those requiring labourers would in such a state of things be facilitated by a ‘gangsman’, who became a middle-man between the two classes.
1897 Westm. Gaz. 3 Feb. 2/1 The post of gangsman or ‘mate’ is thus a good one.
1911 F. Savile Road vi. 47 He went to see the section gangsman, who had disappeared.
1932 T. H. Robinson Hist. Israel I. iii. xi. 255 We can understand the need for 3,300 overseers and gangsmen.
1999 R. P. Fuke Imperfect Equality ii. 31 Workers served as overseers or gangsmen.
3. = gangster n. 1a.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > goodness and badness > wrongdoing > criminality > criminal person > [noun] > gang > member of
gangster1884
gangsman1912
society > law > rule of law > lawlessness > [noun] > crime > a criminal or law-breaker > gangster
gangster1884
gangman1912
gangsman1912
mobster1917
racketeer1924
gangbanger1930
bandit1935
hot rod1936
goodfellow1963
G1989
1912 P. G. Wodehouse Prince & Betty xix. 190 Physical courage is not an outstanding quality of the New York gangsman.
1923 Glasgow Herald 30 Aug. 7 The complete story of the gangsmen and their crimes.
1963 E. P. Hoyt Tempering Years xiv. 252 Soon, even the underworld's hand was turned against him, for he was bringing trouble and bad reputation to the less spectacular gangsmen.
2002 Pakistan Newswire (Nexis) 6 Mar. The police also arrested 16 gangsmen of certain gangs and succeeded in solving 57 cases.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2013; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.1740