What does highwayman mean?

Definitions for highwayman
ˈhaɪˌweɪ mənhigh·way·man

This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word highwayman.

Princeton's WordNet

  1. highjacker, highwayman, hijacker, road agentnoun

    a holdup man who stops a vehicle and steals from it

Wiktionary

  1. highwaymannoun

    A person usually mounted on horseback who robbed travellers on public roads.

  2. Etymology: compound highway + man

Samuel Johnson's Dictionary

  1. Highwaymannoun

    A robber that plunders on the publick roads.

    Etymology: highway and man.

    ’Tis like the friendship of pickpockets and highwaymen, that observe strict justice among themselves. Richard Bentley, Sermons.

    A remedy like that of giving my money to an highwayman before he attempts to take it by force, to prevent the sin of robbery. Jonathan Swift.

Wikipedia

  1. Highwayman

    A highwayman was a robber who stole from travellers. This type of thief usually travelled and robbed by horse as compared to a footpad who travelled and robbed on foot; mounted highwaymen were widely considered to be socially superior to footpads. Such criminals operated until the mid or late 19th century. Highwaywomen, such as Katherine Ferrers, were said to also exist, often dressing as men, especially in fiction. The first attestation of the word highwayman is from 1617. Euphemisms such as "knights of the road" and "gentlemen of the road" were sometimes used by people interested in romanticizing (with a Robin Hood–esque slant) what was often an especially violent form of stealing. In the 19th-century American West, highwaymen were sometimes known as road agents. In Australia, they were known as bushrangers.

ChatGPT

  1. highwayman

    A highwayman is a person, typically a man, who robs travelers on public highways, usually during the period from the 17th to 19th centuries. These types of robbers operated mainly on horseback, hence they were also known as "gentlemen of the road" or "knights of the road."

Webster Dictionary

  1. Highwaymannoun

    one who robs on the public road; a highway robber

Wikidata

  1. Highwayman

    A highwayman was a thief and brigand who preyed on travellers. This type of outlaw usually travelled and robbed by horse, as compared to a footpad who travelled and robbed on foot. Mounted robbers were widely considered to be socially superior to footpads. Such robbers operated in Great Britain and Ireland from the Elizabethan era until the early 19th century. The word highwayman is first known to be used in the year 1617; other euphemisms included "knights of the road" and "gentlemen of the road." In the 19th-century American West, highwaymen were known as road agents. In the same time period in Australia, they were known as bushrangers.

Suggested Resources

  1. highwayman

    Song lyrics by highwayman -- Explore a large variety of song lyrics performed by highwayman on the Lyrics.com website.

Matched Categories

How to pronounce highwayman?

How to say highwayman in sign language?

Numerology

  1. Chaldean Numerology

    The numerical value of highwayman in Chaldean Numerology is: 5

  2. Pythagorean Numerology

    The numerical value of highwayman in Pythagorean Numerology is: 1

Examples of highwayman in a Sentence

  1. Hugh Grant:

    The Lady and the Highwayman.

Popularity rank by frequency of use

highwayman#100000#100488#333333

Translations for highwayman

From our Multilingual Translation Dictionary

Get even more translations for highwayman »

Translation

Find a translation for the highwayman definition in other languages:

Select another language:

  • - Select -
  • 简体中文 (Chinese - Simplified)
  • 繁體中文 (Chinese - Traditional)
  • Español (Spanish)
  • Esperanto (Esperanto)
  • 日本語 (Japanese)
  • Português (Portuguese)
  • Deutsch (German)
  • العربية (Arabic)
  • Français (French)
  • Русский (Russian)
  • ಕನ್ನಡ (Kannada)
  • 한국어 (Korean)
  • עברית (Hebrew)
  • Gaeilge (Irish)
  • Українська (Ukrainian)
  • اردو (Urdu)
  • Magyar (Hungarian)
  • मानक हिन्दी (Hindi)
  • Indonesia (Indonesian)
  • Italiano (Italian)
  • தமிழ் (Tamil)
  • Türkçe (Turkish)
  • తెలుగు (Telugu)
  • ภาษาไทย (Thai)
  • Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese)
  • Čeština (Czech)
  • Polski (Polish)
  • Bahasa Indonesia (Indonesian)
  • Românește (Romanian)
  • Nederlands (Dutch)
  • Ελληνικά (Greek)
  • Latinum (Latin)
  • Svenska (Swedish)
  • Dansk (Danish)
  • Suomi (Finnish)
  • فارسی (Persian)
  • ייִדיש (Yiddish)
  • հայերեն (Armenian)
  • Norsk (Norwegian)
  • English (English)

Word of the Day

Would you like us to send you a FREE new word definition delivered to your inbox daily?

Please enter your email address:


Citation

Use the citation below to add this definition to your bibliography:

Style:MLAChicagoAPA

"highwayman." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 19 Mar. 2024. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/highwayman>.

Discuss these highwayman definitions with the community:

0 Comments

    Are we missing a good definition for highwayman? Don't keep it to yourself...

    Image or illustration of

    highwayman

    Credit »

    Free, no signup required:

    Add to Chrome

    Get instant definitions for any word that hits you anywhere on the web!

    Free, no signup required:

    Add to Firefox

    Get instant definitions for any word that hits you anywhere on the web!

    Browse Definitions.net

    Quiz

    Are you a words master?

    »
    diverge from the expected
    A exacerbate
    B abet
    C abrade
    D aberrate

    Nearby & related entries:

    Alternative searches for highwayman: