pointsmann.1
/ˈpɔɪntsm(ə)n/, U.S. /ˈpɔɪn(t)sm(ə)n/ A man who has charge of the points (point n.1 21k) on a railway.
ΘΚΠ
society > travel > rail travel > railway worker > [noun] > one in charge of points
switchman1843
pointsman1845
switch-tender1853
pointswoman1865
point man1945
1845 Times 23 Apr. 8/5 The pointsman..was handing over to the engineer of a train..a statement of the number of carriages.
1878 F. S. Williams Midland Railway (ed. 4) 624 Pointsmen have very responsible duties.
1922 J. Joyce Ulysses ii. vi. [Hades] 88 A pointsman's back straightened itself upright suddenly against a tramway standard.
1978 G. M. Kichenside & A. Williams Brit. Railway Signalling (ed. 4) i. 6 At some of the larger stations they were assisted by pointsmen who set by hand the points needed to switch a train through a complicated route.
2005 Hindustan Times (Nexis) 22 Apr. Just because a pointsman deputed to operate some diversion levers made a mistake, 21 passengers died and 125 were injured.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, September 2006; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
pointsmann.2
/ˈpɔɪntsmən/, U.S. /ˈpɔɪn(t)sm(ə)n/ A police officer stationed on point duty.
ΘΚΠ
society > law > law enforcement > police force or the police > [noun] > policeman > traffic policeman > on point duty
pointsman1883
point policeman1895
point constable1905
point man1927
1883 Globe 5 Apr. 5/1 Supplemental police ‘pointsmen’ have been placed at several of the public buildings.
1906 G. R. Sims Living London (rev. ed.) III. 36/2 To ensure the performance of their duty and to prevent shirking, both the pointsman and the man on the beat are visited at intervals by a patrol-sergeant.
1964 M. Banton Policeman in Community ii. 14 Certain officers are on duty principally during the day: these include the senior officers.., certain clerical staff, inquiry officers, pointsmen, and drivers.
2005 Financial Mail (Johannesburg) (Nexis) 11 Feb. 18 The traffic lights are still out from a week ago, there's not a pointsman in sight and the traffic is jammed solid.
This is a new entry (OED Third Edition, September 2006; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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