lineman

noun line·man \ ˈlīn-mən \

|Updated on: 13 Aug 2018

Definition of lineman

1 : one who sets up or repairs electric wire communication or power lines — called also linesman

2 : a player in the forward line of a team; specifically : a football player in the line

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Recent Examples of lineman from the Web

The other four Dolphins: defensive lineman William Hayes (85), wide receiver Kenny Stills (83), running back Kenyan Drake (80) and wide receiver Devante Parker (80).

— jordan mcpherson, miamiherald, "Which Miami Dolphins players have the highest Madden 19 ratings?," 19 June 2018
Defensive back Troy Vincent, already a UW Athletics Hall of Famer, and offensive lineman Joe Thomas, are both on the ballot.

— jr radcliffe, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Former UW stars Joe Thomas, Troy Vincent both on College Football Hall of Fame ballot," 4 June 2018
Leon Lett's Super Bowl fumble The Cowboys came up with a strip sack late in Super Bowl XXVII against the Buffalo Bills, and Lett, a defensive lineman, scooped up the loose ball and ran footloose and fancy free toward the end zone.

— jacob bogage, chicagotribune.com, "Analysis: Worst sports championship gaffes, from Bill Buckner to Chris Webber to J.R. Smith," 1 June 2018
According to the caption, Magee is deadlifting 605 pounds — an enormous amount, even for the 6-foot-5, 323-pound lineman.

— michelle r. martinelli, For The Win, "LSU lineman deadlifts 605 pounds in video that should scare opponents," 13 July 2018
Linebacker Tyrone Brown is a third-team Super Team Defense pick, Bryton Thompson is among the magazine's Texas Top 30 defensive linemen, and DL Asyrus Simon is in the Class of 2020 Top 100.

— jason mcdaniel, Houston Chronicle, "High school notebook: Hastings PG Tatiyanna Riley competes in all-star game," 13 July 2018
Weaknesses: Losing eight starters on a defense, especially one with four elite defensive linemen the Wolfpack boasted last season, will be a challenge for NC State moving forward.

— safid deen, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Despite key departures, NC State is No. 47 in 2018 preseason college football rankings," 11 July 2018
O’Callaghan, a former Patriots and Chiefs offensive lineman, has become an important LGBTQ+ voice in sports after publicly sharing his story last summer with Outsports.

— jenny vrentas, SI.com, "For Many NFL Players, Summer Doesn't Bring Much of a Break," 9 July 2018
Other players taken were DB Derrick Kindred (fourth round); offensive linemen Halapoulivaati Vaitai (fifth round) and Joey Hunt (sixth round); and wide receiver Kolby Listenbee (sixth round).

— drew davison, star-telegram, "Top six moments for TCU’s six-year anniversary since joining the Big 12," 5 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'lineman.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of lineman

1876

in the meaning defined at sense 1

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LINEMAN Defined for English Language Learners

lineman

noun

Definition of lineman for English Language Learners

American football : a player whose position is on the line of scrimmage
: a person whose job is to set up and repair power lines or telephone lines

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