groundsman
Also 8–9 ground-man.
a. A labourer employed to dig out or work on the ground, an excavator. b. One who is employed to keep in order a ground or grounds, esp. a cricket ground.
| a. 1785 J. Phillips Treat. Inland Navig. 39 Two hundred and fifty ground-men, and fifty carpenters. 1837 Whittock, etc. Bk. Trades (1842) 197 To the ‘ground-men’ as they are called, the digging is let, at per cubic yard, according to the nature of the soil to be excavated. |
| b. 1886 Standard 27 May 8/4 Wages of gardeners, groundsmen, and gamekeeper. 1887 M. Shearman Athletics & Footb. (Badm. Libr.) 79 The ground-man of the L.A.C. 1895 Daily News 1 Jan. 7/3 The ground-men worked hard on the wicket. |