What does watermen mean?
Watermen is the plural of waterman, a word now chiefly associated with men who work on or with water. In nautical contexts, a waterman may operate a boat or provide services aboard vessels, so watermen can refer collectively to boat crews, ferry operators, or workers in a harbour. The word also has historical senses: watermen carried and sold water before reliable piped supplies, and in some towns they served as officials or employees responsible for water provision. These older uses explain references to London’s Water Men and the term’s long-continued presence in civic and occupational history. Today it is uncommon in everyday speech, so “boatmen,” “ferrymen,” or a more specific job title is usually clearer when one is available. Watermen should not be treated as the plural of the common noun water in the sense of “water-users”; its grammatical relationship is specifically with waterman. Its unusual plural, with man becoming men, also makes it a useful example of an irregular English noun plural.
nounThe plural of waterman: men who work on or with water, especially boatmen, ferry operators, or harbour workers. Historically, it also referred to men who carried or sold water and to officials responsible for a town's water supply.
- Men who work on or with water, especially boatmen, ferry operators, or harbour workers.
- Historically, men who carried or sold water.
- Historically, officials or employees responsible for a town's water supply.
"The harbour watermen prepared the fishing boats before dawn."
"Local fishermen and harbour watermen checked their equipment beside the boats."
"In Victorian London, watermen delivered water to households that were not yet connected to the mains."
Watermen is the plural of waterman, with man changing to men. The possessive is “watermen's.”
"The watermen's equipment was stored beneath the dock."
Before London had reliable piped water, watermen carried water to customers by hand.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does watermen come from?
The compound waterman dates from Middle English and combines water, from Old English wæter, with man, from Old English mann. Its historical senses included a water carrier and a person responsible for water supply, while it was also used for a boatman. The plural watermen reflects the Middle English change from man to men. The elements have close relatives in Dutch water, German Wasser, and German Mann.
Related word forms
How watermen is actually used
Watermen is uncommon in modern general English and is chiefly found in nautical, historical, or occupational contexts. British English preserves more historical associations with water carriers and the London water trade. As a plural, it normally takes a determiner, as in “the watermen.”
Easily confused with watermen
“Waterman” is singular, while “watermen” is the plural used for multiple men.