point mann.
/ˈpɔɪnt ˌman/, U.S. /ˈpɔɪnt ˌmæn/ 1. Originally U.S.
a. A person who rides at the head of a herd of cattle; = pointer n. 8b.
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the world > food and drink > farming > animal husbandry > keeping of cattle > [noun] > herding of cattle > cowherd
cowherda1000
oxherd1281
geldherd1284
nowtherd1296
neatherd1301
drover1384
catcherc1400
caller?a1500
ox-boy1580
neatress1586
harrier1591
cowherdess1611
spurn-cow1614
neatherdess1648
cowgirl1753
herds-woman1818
oxman1820
ranchero1825
topsman1825
vaquero1826
herdsmaiden1829
overlander1841
cattle-herd1845
cowboy1849
buckaroo1852
stock-rider1862
pointer1869
night-herder1870
puncher1870
bull-puncher1872
outrider1872
cowpuncher1873
range man1875
cow-puncher1878
herd-boy1878
cow-girl1884
trail-herd1885
trail boss1890
nighthawk1903
point man1903
swing man1903
top hand1912
charro1926
waddy1927
cattle-puncher1928
cowpoke1928
paniolo1947
1903 A. Adams Log of Cowboy iii. 28 Two riders, known as point men rode out and well back from the lead cattle.
1942 L. V. Berrey & M. Van den Bark Amer. Thes. Slang §913/10 Point men or riders, cowboys riding near the head of a herd of cattle.
1977 M. Herr Dispatches iii. 35 Classic essential American types; point men, isolatos and outriders.
2005 Independent on Sunday (Nexis) 13 Feb. 10 Two ‘point’ men, and a ‘tail’, keep stragglers on the pace.
b. Military. A soldier positioned at the head of a patrol.
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society > armed hostility > warrior > soldier > soldier who practises drill or evolution > [noun] > others
dresser1793
coverer1796
goose-stepper1923
point man1944
1944 Yank 4 Feb. 9/1 The Jap point man was on the scene before any camouflaging could be done.
1969 I. Kemp Brit. G.I. in Vietnam v. 96 Next to the commander..the point man was the most important member of the squad on jungle patrols. It was his duty to walk at the head of the formation..and to act as scout for the rest.
1990 Soldier of Fortune Sept. 59/1 The pointman in Guatemala carries an Israeli flak jacket, a helmet, and sometimes a Winchester 1200, 12-gauge, pump-action shotgun loaded with buckshot.
2004 Marine Corps Gaz. July 63 The squad moved out in single file keeping our distance. I was approximately 50 meters behind the point man.
c. Sport (North American). A player who (habitually) plays in a (particular) attacking position during offensive manoeuvres; (Ice Hockey) a player positioned at the point (point n.1 3j); (Basketball) = point guard n. at point n.1 Compounds 2.
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society > leisure > sport > player or sportsperson > [noun] > team or group > member of > with specific function
pivotman1782
engine room1897
swing man1903
match-winner1908
starter1911
screener1923
playmaker1931
point man1951
1951 Lethbridge (Alberta) Herald 24 Apr. 9/5 Centre Max Bentley [was] the greatest point man—key spot on the power play the Leafs used when they had the opposition short-handed.
1962 Arlington Heights (Virginia) Herald 22 Nov. 58/3 One guard acts as a point man at the head of the three-second lane... Most of the time, the point man starts things off by passing to the ‘feeder’ who, in turn, has the option of passing to the cutting guard or strong side forward.
1968 Los Angeles Times 18 Dec. d7/3 But the player who really makes the zone effective is the point-man, all-league guard Reggie Harris.
2004 Boston Globe 6 Apr. c8 The umbrella focuses on moving a point man to the center of the blue line with the other point man moving closer to the goal.
d. In extended use: a person (esp. a man) having an important and usually public position at the forefront of an activity or endeavour on behalf of an organization, political party, etc.
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1969 Washington Post 9 Dec. a20/2 The central focus is now on Willy Brandt, diplomatic scout or ‘point man’ for the West.
1978 Guardian Weekly 25 June 18/2 Although Carter started his term as no friend of Kennedy,..Kennedy has, ironically, become Carter's point man in the senate.
1991 P.J. Monahan Meech Lake viii. 201 On Saturday, 19 May 1990, Prime Minister Mulroney dispatched his constitutional ‘point man’, Senator Lowell Murray, on a whirlwind tour of provincial capitals.
2004 Independent 15 Nov. (Review section) 2/2 As the point man for day-to-day updates on avian flu in Asia, Uyeki reads and files the postings and checks in with colleagues on the ground overseas.
2. Sport (North American). A player having a prominent role on a team's offence; a player who scores (many) points.
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1905 Manitoba Morning Free Press 14 July 14/1 Hawkshaw, the point man of the Souris [lacrosse] team, arrived in town yesterday.
1924 Indianapolis Star 13 Dec. 13/1 Maston was the visitors' high point-man, making four field goals.
1931 Lima (Ohio) News 11 May 11/6 Betteridge was high jump pointman, with 13 for firsts in the 220-yard run and broad jump and second in the 100.
1939 Appleton (Wisconsin) Post-Crescent 25 Apr. 18/6 Kettering was high pointman in the [athletics] meet, but he was contested closely by DuCharme, Menasha.
2001 Elyria (Ohio) Chron.-Telegram 17 Feb. d4/5 Ramirez was high point man for the second consecutive game.
3. A policeman stationed on point duty; = pointsman n.2 rare.
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society > law > law enforcement > police force or the police > [noun] > policeman > traffic policeman > on point duty
pointsman1883
point policeman1895
point constable1905
point man1927
1927 Observer 20 Nov. 11/3 It..bore a number of legends; on the footboard, ‘Step on the gas’; on the bonnet, ‘Don't look inside’, and ‘Pointman, let us pass’.
4. A person who has charge of the points on a railway; = pointsman n.1
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society > travel > rail travel > railway worker > [noun] > one in charge of points
switchman1843
pointsman1845
switch-tender1853
pointswoman1865
point man1945
1945 G. Millar Maquis ix. 180 This pointman would not presumably be antagonistic to us, since he would be an ordinary ‘cheminot’.
1966 C. Ekwensi Lokotown 35 The point-man was waving a red flag, and still the train thundered on.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, September 2006; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.1903