Whipman

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. An old-fashioned term for a man whose job was driving horses or a carriage by handling the reins and whip
2. Archaically, a male driver who controlled a team of horses by means of a whip, much like a coachman or carter
3. A dated word for a fellow who drove a horse-drawn vehicle and used a whip to direct the animals

Etymology: "Whipman" is a plain compound: the noun "whip" combined with the suffix "-man", the same ending found in words like "huntsman" or "craftsman." Together they name a person whose job or role is connected with whips, which in practice meant someone who handled or wielded them. The historical meaning is what gives the word its interest. Whips were once a working tool for controlling animals, from teams of draft horses to packs of hounds, so the term naturally belonged to people who drove and managed such animals. Its sense then narrowed toward the more uncomfortable role of the person who administered punishment with a lash, the kind of job that existed in prisons, ships and workhouses.