night-man

English

Noun

night-man (plural night-men)

1. Alternative form of nightman
   1. Man who collects night soil.
      • 1850, J. B. Boussingault, Rural Economy, in its Relations with Chemistry, Physics, and Meteorology, page 294:

        In the neighborhood of Paris there are places appropriated to the reception of the night-soil: it is thrown into reservoirs of no great depth, in comparison with their superficial extent, and of an aggregate cappacity which is such that they will contain the whole of the products collected by the night-man in the course of six months.

      • 1885, New South Wales. Parliament. Legislative Assembly, Votes and Proceedings of the Legislative Assembly, page 282:

        No person shall act as night-man or drive any night-cart within the limits of the city of Grafton, unless such person be authorised so to do by the said Council.

      • 1895, New South Wales. Parliament. Legislative Council, Votes & Proceedings - Volume 3, page 1092:

        The Inspector of Nuisances shall obtain from the contractor or night-man a list showing the names of occupiers or owners of premises where closets have been emptied, and the situation of such premises.

   2. A man who works the night shift.
      • 1851, Herman Melville, Moby Dick:

        The morning of the third day dawned fair and fresh, and once more the solitary night-man at the fore-mast-head was relieved by crowds of the daylight look-outs, who dotted every mast and almost every spar.

Anagrams

• thingman, Thingnam, manthing