A person whose job was to deliver blocks of ice for refrigeration, particularly before electric refrigerators became common.
Compound word from 'ice' and 'man.' This occupational term was common in early 20th-century America before mechanical refrigeration made the job obsolete.
The iceman was a crucial figure in American life for decades—every house needed ice delivered regularly. The phrase 'The Iceman Cometh' by Eugene O'Neill uses this to suggest something inevitable and perhaps ominous arriving at your door.
Occupational masculine form historically applied to workers in ice harvesting and refrigeration; 'man' suffix erases women who performed equivalent work.
Use 'ice worker,' 'ice harvester,' or reference the specific role without gendered suffix.
["ice worker","ice harvester","refrigeration technician"]
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