ˈvatmən noun
( plural vatmen )
: a worker who washes, dyes, cooks, or chemically treats products in a vat: as
a. : a workman who forms sheets of handmade paper by dipping a mold into a vat of stock
b. : one who saturates logs and flitches with hot water or steam to soften the fibers prior to veneer cutting — called also wood cooker
c. : an operator of a dye reel or jig : jigger
d. : plater 1a(2)
e. : one who pasteurizes and ripens cream for use in making butter