1. a miner who works in a pit or coal mine
Usage: chiefly British; historical or regional
2. a connecting rod or lever in machinery that converts rotary motion into reciprocating motion or vice versa
Usage: technical; mechanical engineering

Examples

• The pitman descended into the coal mine at dawn.
• His grandfather worked as a pitman for forty years.
• The pitman in the engine transfers power from the crankshaft to the pump.
• Many pitmen in the region lost their jobs when the mines closed.
• The pitman mechanism is essential to the operation of this reciprocating saw.