noun
- plural of ashman; workers employed to collect and remove ashes, especially from fireplaces and furnaces
Usage: chiefly historical; British English
Examples
- The ashmen came by every week to empty the ash bins from the neighborhood.
- In Victorian times, ashmen were a common sight on city streets.
- The ashmen sorted through the ashes to recover any reusable materials.
- Before modern waste disposal, ashmen played an important role in keeping homes clean.