highwayman means A person, usually mounted on horseback, who robbed travelers on public roads. Lexicurio rates it Rare gem — a strength score of 81 out of 100.
highwayman is pronounced /ˈhaɪˌweɪmən/.
Why “highwayman” is a great word
HIGHWAYMAN — [Noun] A robber, typically on horseback, who preyed upon travelers on public roads. From highway (a main public road) + man (a person). First attested in 1617. Unlike a "footpad" (who skulked and struck on foot) or a "brigand" (who roamed as part of a marauding band in wild terrain), the highwayman was a solitary, theatrical predator of the arterial route. He is the sudden shadow at the bend of a moonlit post-road, the glint of a pistol against a coach lamp, the commanding voice that halts progress—a romanticized specter conjured from the very infrastructure meant to ensure safe passage.
Etymology
From highway + man.
noun
- A person, usually mounted on horseback, who robbed travelers on public roads.“[…] here were no Gibers, Cenſurers, Backbiters, Pick-pockets, Highwaymen, Houſebreakers, Attorneys, Bawds, Buffoons, Gameſters, Politicians, Wits, ſplenetick tedious Talkers, Controvertiſts, Raviſhers, Murderers, Robbers, Virtuoſo's; […]”