linesman

UK: /ˈlaɪnzmən/ US: /ˈlaɪnzmən/ ,(līnz′mən)

Inflections of 'linesman' (n): npl: linesmen

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

lines•man /ˈlaɪnzmən/   n. [countable] , pl. -men. 

1. Sport an official in tennis, soccer, football, or ice hockey who keeps track of boundaries, distances, or the like.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

lines•man  (līnz′mən), n., pl. -men. 

1. Sport
   • an official, as in tennis and soccer, who assists the referee.
   • [Football.] an official who marks the distances gained and lost in the progress of play and otherwise assists the referee and field judge.
   • [Ice Hockey.] either of two officials who assist the referee by watching for icing, offside, and substitution violations and fouls and by conducting face-offs.
2. Telecommunications lineman (def. 1).

• line¹ + 's¹ + -man 1855–60

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

linesman / ˈlaɪnzmən/ noun ( -men)

1. an official who helps the referee or umpire in various sports, esp by indicating when the ball has gone out of play
2. a person who installs, maintains, or repairs telephone or electric-power lines
   US and Canadian name: lineman