Dictionary

foreman en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (US) audio
• /ˈfɔː(ɹ).mən/

Etymology

From Middle English foremon, forman. Compare West Frisian foarman, Dutch voorman, German Vormann, Danish formand, Swedish förman, Icelandic formaður. By surface analysis, fore- + man.

Meanings

1. A workplace leader. ▸ The leader of a work crew.
   • Since we’re getting too friendly, Ephraim Winslow, tell me, what’s a timber man want with being a wickie? Not enough quiet for ye up north? Sawdust itching yer nethers? Foreman found ye too high-tempered for carrying an axe? 2019, Robert Eggers, Max Eggers, The Lighthouse (motion picture), spoken by Thomas Wake (Willem Dafoe), set in Maine, United States, during the 1890s with dialogue written to reflect the time period:
2. A workplace leader. ▸ The boss or manager of a particular workplace or section of a workplace, particularly a factory.
   • factory foreman
3. The member of a jury who presides over it and speaks on its behalf.
4. (US, historical) A slave assistant to the white overseer who managed field hands.

Forms

Deriveds

foremanship · subforeman

Descendants

فورمن · ဖိုမင်

Relateds

forewoman · forepeople · foreperson

Translations (97)

my ဖိုမင် (leader of a work crew) · hy տասնապետ (leader of a work crew) · da værkfører (leader of a work crew) · de Vorarbeiter (leader of a work crew) · th หัวงาน (leader of a work crew) · uk ма́йстер (leader of a work crew) · ar مُشْرِف (leader of a work crew) · gv ard-ghooinney bingagh (member of a jury who presides over it and speaks on its behalf) · cmn 首席陪審員 /首席陪审员 (member of a jury who presides over it and speaks on its behalf) · fa-ira سَرْکارْگَر (leader of a work crew) · el αρχιτεχνίτης (leader of a work crew) · da juryformand (member of a jury who presides over it and speaks on its behalf) · ko 배심장 (member of a jury who presides over it and speaks on its behalf) · ga maor (leader of a work crew) · cmn 工頭 /工头 (leader of a work crew) · ar أُسْطَى (leader of a work crew) · fr chef (leader of a work crew) · cmn 領班 /领班 (leader of a work crew) · ko 직공장 (leader of a work crew) · ru ма́стер (leader of a work crew) · nb arbeidsformann (leader of a work crew) · ru прора́б (leader of a work crew) · de Sprecher der Geschworenen (member of a jury who presides over it and speaks on its behalf) · ar مُقَدَّم (leader of a work crew) · nb juryformann (member of a jury who presides over it and speaks on its behalf) · ko 십장 (leader of a work crew) · et töödejuhataja (leader of a work crew) · be брыгадзі́р (leader of a work crew) · pl kierownik budowy (leader of a work crew) · ar وَهِين (leader of a work crew) · sv lagbas (leader of a work crew) · eo laborestro (leader of a work crew) · fi työnjohtaja (leader of a work crew) · fi puheenjohtaja (member of a jury who presides over it and speaks on its behalf) · sl delovodja (leader of a work crew) · ka ოსტატი (leader of a work crew) · ar مُرَاقِب عُمَّال (leader of a work crew) · fo formaður (leader of a work crew) · ro maistru (leader of a work crew) · pl majster (leader of a work crew) · apw nantʼán (leader of a work crew) · km មេការ (leader of a work crew) · sv ordförande (member of a jury who presides over it and speaks on its behalf) · ja 工場長 (leader of a work crew) · tr ustabaşı (leader of a work crew) · fa-ira سُخَنْگو (member of a jury who presides over it and speaks on its behalf) · ja 親方 (leader of a work crew) · el εργοδηγός (leader of a work crew) · ru ште́йгер (leader of a work crew) · be ма́йстар (leader of a work crew) · gd maor (leader of a work crew) · hy վարպետ (leader of a work crew) · nb formann (leader of a work crew) · sk predák (leader of a work crew) · th หัวหน้างาน (leader of a work crew) · gl maioral (leader of a work crew) · es presidente del jurado (member of a jury who presides over it and speaks on its behalf) · pl przewodniczący ławy przysięgłych (member of a jury who presides over it and speaks on its behalf) · be прара́б (leader of a work crew) · fr chef d'équipe (leader of a work crew) · de Polier (leader of a work crew) · es capataz (leader of a work crew) · it capoccia (leader of a work crew) · be брыгады́р (leader of a work crew) · ru бригади́р (leader of a work crew) · izh päänikka (leader of a work crew) · es presidenta del jurado (member of a jury who presides over it and speaks on its behalf) · es obrajero (leader of a work crew) · it caposquadra (leader of a work crew) · nn arbeidsformann (leader of a work crew) · sv juryordförande (member of a jury who presides over it and speaks on its behalf) · sv förman (leader of a work crew) · fr contremaître (leader of a work crew) · gl capataz (leader of a work crew) · da sjakbajs (leader of a work crew) · bg ма́йстор (leader of a work crew) · ar مُلَاحِظ (leader of a work crew) · de Sprecherin der Geschworenen (member of a jury who presides over it and speaks on its behalf) · pt capataz (leader of a work crew) · he מנהל עבודה (leader of a work crew) · ja 職長 (leader of a work crew) · izh päämees (leader of a work crew) · mk палир (leader of a work crew) · bg бригади́р (leader of a work crew) · uk виконро́б (leader of a work crew) · ja 陪審長 (member of a jury who presides over it and speaks on its behalf) · nn formann (leader of a work crew) · ca capatàs (leader of a work crew) · cs předák (leader of a work crew) · nn juryformann (member of a jury who presides over it and speaks on its behalf) · hu művezető (leader of a work crew) · es sobrestante (leader of a work crew) · ar رَئِيس عُمَّال (leader of a work crew) · gd maor-obrach (leader of a work crew) · uk бригади́р (leader of a work crew) · da formand (leader of a work crew) · ja フォアマン (leader of a work crew)