woodman

Someone who cuts down trees or cuts up, splits, and sells wood.

As thro’ the shrilling Vale, or Mountain Ground, The Labours of the Woodman’s Axe resound; Blows following Blows are heard re-echoing wide, While crackling Forests fall on ev’ry side. Thus echo’d all the Fields with loud Alarms, So fell the Warriors, and so rung their Arms.

Woodman, spare that tree! Touch not a single bough! In youth it shelter’d me, And I’ll protect it now. ’Twas my forefather’s hand That placed it near his cot; There, woodman, let it stand, Thy axe shall harm it not!

Someone who lives in the wood and manages it; (by extension) someone who spends time in the woods and has a strong familiarity with that environment.

Our walk was far among the ancient trees: There was no road, nor any wood-man’s path, But the thick umbrage, checking the wild growth Of weed and sapling […]

“It is strange,” muttered Cardillac, “that so loud a roar in the forest at night should give such little indication of direction. I suppose a true woodman could not only point towards the spot, but might estimate the distance as well. I seem to be a very fool of the forest.”

Someone who makes things from wood.

Someone who hunts animals in a wood, hunter, huntsman.

You, Polydote, have proved best woodman and Are master of the feast: Cadwal and I Will play the cook and servant; ’tis our match: The sweat of industry would dry and die, But for the end it works to.

c. 1611, John Fletcher, The Woman’s Prize, Act IV, Scene 3, in Comedies and Tragedies Written by Francis Beaumont and John Fletcher, Gentlemen, London: H. Robinson & H. Moseley, 1647, p. 116, How daintily, and cunningly you drive me Up like a Deere to’th toyle, yet I may leape it, And what’s the woodman then?

Someone who lives in the woods and is considered to be uncivilized or barbaric, a savage.

[…] yonder in that faithfull wildernesse Huge monsters haunt, and many dangers dwell; Dragons, and Minotaures, and feendes of hell, And many wilde woodmen, which robbe & rend All traveilers […]

There between the trees The prying Fauns and Woodmen dark And prick-ear’d Satyrs her did mark,

A surname.