lineman

noun

line·​man ˈlīn-mən 

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

Examples of lineman in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Future Hall of Fame defensive lineman Aaron Donald officially came out of retirement Sunday to rejoin the Rams for their Super Bowl title push. — Gary Klein, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2026

The linemen paved the way for 266 yards rushing and four touchdowns on 28 carries in a 43-35 victory over Dacula. — Todd Holcomb, AJC.com, 1 Sep. 2026

Every draft pick was kept for the sixth consecutive season, and the defensive line depth that has been the talk of camp was shown by keeping 11 linemen and only four linebackers. — Paul Dehner Jr, New York Times, 31 Aug. 2026

Miami is replacing four of its six primary offensive linemen from last season’s team that reached the College Football Playoff National Championship Game. — Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 31 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1876, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for lineman

• linemen
• steinmann

Kids Definition

lineman

noun

line·​man ˈlīn-mən 

1

: one who sets up or repairs power or telephone lines

2

: a football player whose position is on the line of scrimmage