Obs. Also 3–6 lodes-, (4 lodez-, loodis-), 5–6 lodis-, lodys-, (5 ladis-, lods-, 6 lodse-, loades-), 6–8 loads. [Altered form of LODEMAN, on the analogy of genitival compounds, as doomsman.]
1. A leader, guide.
c. 1275. Lay., 6245. And solleþ habbe lodes-men [c. 1205 lædesmen] forþ ȝou to lede.
1398. Trevisa, Barth. De P. R., XVIII. lxxxvii. (1495), 836. Tame swyne knowe theyr owne howses and home and lerne to come therto wythout guide and lodesman.
a. 1400–50. Alexander, 4967. Þe lede at was þar ladisman.
1482. Monk of Evesham (Arb.), 106. Y folowyde euermore my duke and lodisman sent Nicholas.
1528. Roy, Rede me (Arb.), 72. Ruffian wretches and rascall Lodesmen of all knavisshnes.
c. 1540. trans. Pol. Verg. Eng. Hist. (Camden, 1846), I. 69. The legion whereof Manlius Valens was lodesmann.
1578. Chr. Prayers, in Priv. Prayers (1851), 543. Be thou … our loadsman, guide, and captain.
1580. Hollyband, Treas. Fr. Tong, Vne Guide qui meine autruy, a leader, a guide, a loadesman.
1594. Latimer, 1st Serm. bef. Edw. VI. (Arb.), 21. To walke ordinatly with God and to make him his lodes man and chief guyde.
b. spec. Mil.
1581. Styward, Mart. Discipl., I. 46. The Sergeant … putteth them in araie that euerie man follow his lodseman, keeping his ranke fellowes iustlie on both sides.
1583. Golding, Calvin on Deut., cxcix. 1241. Hee prouided them first of ye principall point, which was, yt they might haue a good loadesman.
2. A pilot; a steersman.
13[?]. E. E. Allit. P., C. 179. A lodes-mon lyȝtly lep vnder hachches.
c. 1385. Chaucer, L. G. W. (Fairf.), 1488. Hypsip. If they were broken or woo begoon Or hade nede of lodesmen [v.rr. lodman, ladman] or vitayle.
c. 1400. Beryn, 1601. Sir lodisman, Stere onys into the Costis, as wel as evir thowe can.
1513. Douglas, Æneis, III. vi. 224. He … gaif ws then Gentill horsis, pilottis, and lodismen.
1530. Palsgr., 240/2. Lodesman of a shippe, pilotte.
a. 1548. Hall, Chron., Hen. VIII., 22 b. The Englishe capitaines perceivyng that the haven was daungerous to entre without an expert lodesman.
a. 1571. Jewel, Serm., Luke x. 23–4 (1611), 247. What, I pray you, betides vnto a Ship so tossed in the sea if there be no Lodes-man to steere it?
1735. Dyche & Pardon, Dict., Loadsman, a Guide or Pilot.
fig. 1579. Tomson, Calvin’s Serm. Tim., 61/1. If we be benighted, in deede we are glad to haue the Moone shine, or the Starres to be our Lodesmen.
1581. Studley, Medea, in trans. Seneca, 136 b. Hesperus, the loadesman of the night.
