Definitions

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun One whose duty it is to convey intelligence, notice, warning, or the like by means of signals; a signaler; in nautical or military service, one who makes signals and reads or interprets the signals received; an expert in signals.
  • noun In lumbering, one who transmits orders from the foreman of a yarding-crew to the engineer of the yarding-donkey.

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

  • noun A man whose business is to manage or display signals; especially, one employed in setting the signals by which railroad trains are run or warned.

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

  • noun Somebody employed to operate the signals and points of a railway.
  • noun A member of the armed forces responsible for signalling.

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

  • noun a railroad employee in charge of signals and point in a railroad yard

Etymologies

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Examples

  • In total, he called the signalman three times requesting help, and another London Underground member of staff, Dave Matthews, had called once, but the line was cut off.

    7/7 inquest: bomb alert was ignored, says train driver Alexandra Topping 2010

  • Surely you would not call a signalman unfeeling because he held out a red lamp when he knew that just round the curve beyond his cabin the rails were up, and that any train that reached the place would go over in horrid ruin.

    Expositions of Holy Scripture : St. Matthew Chaps. IX to XXVIII Alexander Maclaren 1868

  • These 53% only amount to 37% of the total RMT members elligible to vote. being a signalman is a pretty responsible job and I find 99% of them to be sound and helpful lads, I don't want to see them screwed over or made redundant by the cnunts that are Netwank Fail management.

    Army Rumour Service 2010

  • What on earth is "signalman" on about .... posted on another thread ....

    Army Rumour Service 2010

  • What on earth is "signalman" on about .... posted on another thread ....

    Army Rumour Service 2010

  • You're a rifleman, a cook, a signalman... it doesn't matter how much you're promoted up the ranks: you always wear your specialty badge until the day they make you a General.

    Peter Samuelson: Leadership Is Not Just for Experts! Peter Samuelson 2011

  • You're a rifleman, a cook, a signalman... it doesn't matter how much you're promoted up the ranks: you always wear your specialty badge until the day they make you a General.

    Peter Samuelson: Leadership Is Not Just for Experts! Peter Samuelson 2011

  • Navy signalman who survived a June 1967 attack on the USS Liberty by Israeli fighter planes and torpedo boats during the Six-Day War, a raid that killed 34 crew members and wounded 171.

    Criticism of Israeli raid builds; hundreds still held 2010

  • In the commotion, a signalman failed to alert an oncoming train.

    Will Indian Trains Ever Be Safe? Ashish K. Mishra 2010

  • In the commotion, a signalman failed to alert an oncoming train.

    Will Indian Trains Ever Be Safe? 2010

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