A robber who attacked and stole from travelers on roads during the 17th and 18th centuries, often on horseback.
Compound of 'highway' (main road) and 'man.' The word emerged during the era of highway robbery in Europe, when roads were dangerous and unpoliced.
Some highwaymen like Dick Turpin became folk heroes—people romanticized them the same way we romanticize bank robbers today, forgetting they were actually dangerous criminals!
Highwayman defaults to male; women highwaymen/robbers were erased from popular history despite documented existence (e.g., Claude du Vall, Molly Maguires).
Use highwayman for historical male figures; prefer robber, bandit, or brigand for gender-neutral reference.
["robber","brigand","bandit","outlaw"]
Women robbers and highwaymen operated throughout history but were written out of legend; recent scholarship restores figures like Hannah Snell and Mary Frith.
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