pointswomann.
/ˈpɔɪntsˌwʊm(ə)n/, U.S. /ˈpɔɪn(t)sˌwʊm(ə)n/ Now rare.
A woman 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
1865 A. Munby Diary 17 Mar. in M. Hiley Victorian Working Women (1979) ii. i. 86/2 In the cutting I found a girl..the pointswoman, whose duty it is to mind the rails whenever a train of coalwaggons goes by.
1871 D. M. Mulock Fair France ii. 66 Much it amazed us to see continually on French railways these female officials, down to signalwomen and pointswomen.
1892 Democratic Standard (Coshocton, Ohio) 15 Apr. 3/5 The men say that..when left to themselves they [sc. women] never have been in time for the train as passengers, and will not be more punctual as pointswomen.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, September 2006; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.1865