section hand

noun

, Railroads.

1. a person who works on a section gang.

Word History and Origins

Origin of section hand¹

First recorded in 1870–75

Example Sentences

Lots of section hands went back and forth, Mexicans, some Hindus.

From Literature

One day they were telegraphers, day laborers, railroad section hands and the next they were colossal figures of American enterprise.

From Project Gutenberg

I found only one man, the cook, at the Section house this time, the section hands having gone to work.

From Project Gutenberg

And that, as it happened, was exactly the place from which it was revealed to the choleric near-Shuswap section hand.

From Project Gutenberg

By and by the cars sped past a small stone hut and he wondered whether he was the man who had not long since stolen down at night to meet the section hand.

From Project Gutenberg