Dictionary

skywalker en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (Australia) audio
• /ˈskaɪwɔːkə(ɹ)/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /ˈskaɪwɔkəɹ/ (General-American)

Etymology

From sky + walker.

Meanings

1. (figuratively, specifically, usually) One who walks in the sky. ▸ A member of the Mohawk group of Native Americans; especially one who is or was involved in steelworking on tall buildings in New York City.
   • A particularly brave tribe of Native Americans, the Mohawks, have been called skywalkers because of their ability to navigate heights (Hill, 1987). Members of the tribe became particularly well known when they assisted with the building of the Empire State Building and other Manhattan skyscrapers. […] Their membership in these small, tight-knit groups likely promoted bravery among the skywalkers. 2004, Christopher Peterson, Martin E. P. Seligman [et al.], Character Strengths and Virtues: A Handbook and Classification, New York, N.Y.: Oxford University Press, →ISBN, page 227:
2. (broadly, figuratively, from the previous, usually) One who walks in the sky. ▸ Any ironworker working at a height.
3. (figuratively, usually) One who walks in the sky. ▸ One who walks along a skywalk or skyway.
   • Since the view from the skywalk opened onto a huge expanse of brick—an adjacent building had been torn down—officials from the city decided that a wall painting would provide a beautiful and stimulating sight for the skywalkers. 1998, Gregory Wolfe, Sacred Passion: The Art of William Schickel, University of Notre Dame Press, page 104:
   • And if you notice an unusually litter-free skywalk, don’t presume that your fellow skywalkers have taken it upon themselves to give a hoot. 1989 March, Greg Evans, “Conventional Wisdom”, in Cincinnati, volume 22, number 6, CM Media Inc., →ISSN, page 48:
   • […] and help individual skywalkers feel at home in their new surroundings. Many times, Seitz said, pedestrians will feel ill at ease on a skywalk at first because they have lost their street corner orientation. 1983, Industrial Photography, volume 32, United Business Publications, page lxxiii:

Forms

wikipedia: New York City · wikipedia: Lewis Hine · wikipedia: New York · wikipedia: Empire State Building