highwayman

English

Etymology

From highway +‎ man.

Pronunciation

• (Canada) IPA^(key): /ˈhaɪˌweɪmən/

Noun

highwayman (plural highwaymen)

1. (historical) A person, usually mounted on horseback, who robbed travelers on public roads.

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:highwayman

   • 1726 October 28, [Jonathan Swift], “The Author’s Oeconomy and Happy Life among the Houyhnhnms. […]”, in Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World. […] [Gulliver’s Travels], volume II, London: […] Benj[amin] Motte, […], →OCLC, part IV (A Voyage to the Houyhnhnms), page 301:

     […] here were no Gibers, Cenſurers, Backbiters, Pick-pockets, Highwaymen, Houſebreakers, Attorneys, Bawds, Buffoons, Gameſters, Politicians, Wits, ſplenetick tedious Talkers, Controvertiſts, Raviſhers, Murderers, Robbers, Virtuoſo's; […]

   • 1906 August, Alfred Noyes, “The Highwayman”, in Poems, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., published October 1906, →OCLC, part 1, stanza I, page 45:

     And the highwayman came riding— / Riding—riding— / The highwayman came riding, up to the old inn-door.

   • 1977, Jimmy Webb, Highwayman:

     I was a highwayman / Across the coach roads I did ride / With sword and pistol by my side.

Translations

person who robbed travelers on roads

• Bashkir: юлбаҫар (yulbaśar)
• Bengali: ঠগী (ṭhogi)
• Catalan: bandoler (ca) m, lladre de camí ral m
• Czech: loupežník (cs) m, zbojník (cs) m
• Danish: landevejsrøver c
• Dutch: struikrover (nl) m
• Estonian: maanteeröövel, teeröövel
• Finnish: maantierosvo (fi)
• French: bandit de grand chemin (fr), brigand (fr) m, malandrin (fr) m
• German: Wegelagerer (de) m, Straßenräuber (de) m
• Greek: ληστής (el) m (listís)
• Hungarian: útonálló (hu), betyár (hu)
• Icelandic: vegaræningi m, stigamaður m
• Irish: gadaí bóthair m
• Italian: ladrone m, bandito (it) m, brigante (it), masnadiere (it) m, predone (it) m
• Korean: 노상강도 (nosanggangdo)
• Latin: latro (la) m, latrunculus
• Macedonian: дру́мски ра́збојник m (drúmski rázbojnik), а́јдук m (ájduk)
• Norman: voleux d'grand'c'mîn m (Jersey)
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: landeveisrøver m, stratenrøver m

• Portuguese: salteador m
• Romanian: tâlhar de drum mare m, bandit (ro) m, hoț la drumul mare m
• Russian: разбо́йник с большо́й дороги m (razbójnik s bolʹšój dorogi)
• Spanish: bandolero (es) m, salteador m
• Swedish: stråtrövare (sv) c
• Welsh: lleidr pen ffordd m, carn-lleidr m

See also

• highway robbery
• stand and deliver