ˈpowder-man
† a. ? A dealer in gunpowder. Obs. b. A man who supplies the guns with powder on board a man-of-war. c. One who attends to the powder used in blasting operations, etc.
| 1669 Sturmy Mariner's Mag. v. xii. 67 . Every Gunner may have his Peter ready made refined and in Meal at the Powder-mens, or Chandlers. 1859 F. A. Griffiths Artill. Man. (1862) 226 Stationary powdermen are allotted to every two guns. 1886 Sci. Amer. LIV. 85/2 In driving the heading, each of the three shifts is made up of a boss, 4 drill men, 4 helpers on drills, 1 powder man, 1 car man, and 2 laborers. |