tallyman

[ tal-ee-muhn ]

noun

, plural tal·ly·men.

1. a person who tallies or keeps account of something.
2. British. a person who sells merchandise on the hire-purchase system.

tallyman

/ ˈtælɪmən /

noun

1. a scorekeeper or recorder
2. dialect.
   a travelling salesman for a firm specializing in hire-purchase

Derived Forms

• ˈtallyˌwoman, noun:feminine

Word History and Origins

Origin of tallyman¹

First recorded in 1645–55; tally + -man

Example Sentences

Mr. Saganash, the tallyman who has long fought against logging, belongs to the Crees centered in Waswanipi, a town eight hours north by car from Montreal.

From New York Times

He started as a tallyman, making $5.95 a day for tallying the lumber output from the loggers.

From New York Times

He worked two summers in Bristol Bay as a tallyman and storekeeper at Clark’s Point cannery, and also as tugboat operator.

From Washington Times

For this you can thank the tallymen, a ragged band of political zealots from every party who specialize in watching ballots as they're counted.

From US News

In the 43 multi-member constituencies across the country, activists known as "tallymen" and women stand on the other side of the tables where officials sort and count ballot papers.

From The Guardian