daysman
(ˈdeɪzmən)
[f. day n. + man. For sense 1, cf. day v.2 2, and dayment.]
1. An umpire or arbitrator; a mediator. arch.
| 1489 Plumpton Corr. 82 Sir, the dayesmen cannot agre us. 1535 Coverdale Job ix. 33 Nether is there eny dayes man to reproue both the partes, or to laye his honde betwixte us. 1573 New Custom i. ii. in Hazl. Dodsley III. 14 If neighbours were at variance, they ran not straight to law: Daysmen took up the matter, and cost them not a straw. 1621 Burton Anat. Mel. Democr. to Rdr. (1657) 50 They had some common arbitrators, or dayesmen, in every towne, that made a friendly composition between man and man. 1681 W. Robertson Phraseol. Gen. (1639) 427 A days man or umpire, arbiter. 1746–7 Hervey Medit. (1818) 15 Death, like some able daysman, has laid his hand on the contending parties. 1844 Macaulay Barère Misc. Wks. 1860 II. 128 Spurning out of their way the daysman who strives to take his stand between them. |
2. A worker by the day; a day-labourer.
| a 1639 Ward Serm. (1862) 105 (D.) He is a good day's⁓man, or journeyman, or tasker. 1706 Phillips (ed. Kersey), Days-man, a Labourer that works by the Day, as a Thresher, Hedger, etc. 1750 Ellis Country Housew. 16 (E.D.S.) A day's-man, as we call them in Hertfordshire. 1868 Bushnell Serm. Living Subjects 111 We..pile up what we think good acts on one another, as some day's man might the cents of his wages. |
† 3. Obs. nonce-uses. (See quots.)
| 1598 Bacon Sacred Medit. (Arb.) 109 For we ought to be daies-men, and not to-morrowes men, considering the shortnesse of our time. 1658 Rowland Moufet's Theat. Ins. 951 We are in Pindars account but ἐπώµεροι, Daiesmen, i.e. of a daies continuance. |
Hence † ˈdaysmanship, the office of a days-man; reconciliation.
| 1649 Lightfoot Battle w. Wasp's Nest Wks. 1825 I. 407 If you be so good a reconciler, I pray begin at home: the Evangelists need none of your day'smanship. |