night-man

Noun

night-man (plural night-men)

1. Man who collects night soil.
   • In the neighborhood of Paris there are places appropriated to the reception of the night-soil: it is thrown into reservoirs of no great depth, in comparison with their superficial extent, and of an aggregate cappacity which is such that they will contain the whole of the products collected by the...1850, J. B. Boussingault, Rural Economy, in its Relations with Chemistry, Physics, and Meteorology, page 294
   • No person shall act as night-man or drive any night-cart within the limits of the city of Grafton, unless such person be authorised so to do by the said Council.1885, New South Wales. Parliament. Legislative Assembly, Votes and Proceedings of the Legislative Assembly, page 282
2. A man who works the night shift.
   • The morning of the third day dawned fair and fresh, and once more the solitary night-man at the fore-mast-head was relieved by crowds of the daylight look-outs, who dotted every mast and almost every spar.1851, Herman Melville, Moby Dick