brakeman

noun

brake·​man ˈbrāk-mən How to pronounce brakeman (audio)
1
: a freight or passenger train crew member who inspects the train and assists the conductor
2
: the member of a bobsled team who operates the brake

Examples of brakeman in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
He’s been a busboy, a railroad brakeman, a garbage man; he’s worked in a chemical plant and in a box factory. Edward Hirsch, The Atlantic, 22 Dec. 2024 Meyers Taylor is a four-time Olympian and three-time medalist, winning silvers as a driver in 2014 and 2018 and a bronze as a brakeman in 2010. USA TODAY, 4 Feb. 2022 The crew of the 40-car train included an engineer, a conductor, a brakeman and a conductor trainee. Josh Funk, ajc, 18 Apr. 2023 His father was a railroad brakeman who died when Billy was about 10; his mother was a substitute teacher. Richard Sandomir, New York Times, 14 Apr. 2023 See all Example Sentences for brakeman 

Word History

First Known Use

1833, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of brakeman was in 1833

Dictionary Entries Near brakeman

Cite this Entry

“Brakeman.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/brakeman. Accessed 19 Jan. 2025.

Kids Definition

brakeman

noun
brake·​man ˈbrāk-mən How to pronounce brakeman (audio)
: a member of a train crew who inspects the train and assists the conductor
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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