Select Man
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
In some of the New England States a member of a board of town officers who has been deputed to be responsible for the conduct of certain branches of local admini- stration.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Select Man” mean?
In some of the New England States a member of a board of town officers who has been deputed to be responsible for the conduct of certain branches of local admini- stration.
Is “Select Man” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.