Meanings
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1
noun
historical: a railway worker responsible for operating a train's brakes and assisting with couplings and switching
The brakeman climbed between the cars to inspect the coupling.
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2
noun
the member of a bobsleigh team who applies the brake after the finish
The brakeman pulled the lever as the bobsleigh crossed the line.
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3
noun
historical: a worker who operated winding or lifting machinery at a mine
The brakeman controlled the engine that raised coal from the shaft.
Thesaurus
Etymology
A compound of brake + man. The railway occupation arose when individual cars had manually operated brakes; the same transparent formation was later used for machinery operators and the braking member of a bobsleigh crew. The irregular plural is brakemen.