Meaning & use
motorman
Last updated
UK/ˈməʊtəmən/
US/ˈmoʊtɚmən/
Meaning
nouncountableold-fashionedAmerican
A person who drives an electric train, subway or tram.
Grammar: Countable, plural motormen: the motorman sounded the horn.
Patterns
- the motorman of something
The motorman stopped the subway at the platform.
A motorman guided the old streetcar uphill.
The motorman waved to the passengers.
Word forms
| plural | motormen |
|---|
Common combinations
- streetcar motorman
- The streetcar motorman rang his bell.
- subway motorman
- The subway motorman announced a delay.
- veteran motorman
- A veteran motorman retired after forty years.
- motorman's cab
- The motorman's cab sat at the front.
Synonyms and how they differ
- train driver
- Train driver is the standard modern British term and works for any gender.
- operator
- Operator is a neutral word for someone who runs a train or tram.
- engineer
- Engineer is the American term for a locomotive driver on mainline trains.
Opposites
Word family
- motor noun
- an engine
- motormen noun
- plural of motorman
Commonly confused: motorman or conductor?
motorman vs conductor
A conductor checks tickets, while a motorman drives.
Practice
What does a motorman do?
Choose one answer.
A motorman drives an electric train or tram. The others are different jobs.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “motorman”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.
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