sander

plural sanders

1. A person employed to sand wood.
2. A machine to mechanize the process of sanding.

   The autophiles hang around a big, fluorescent-lighted garage with cars on cinder blocks, ostensibly in competition for a job, and they talk to the camera in between sessions at the sander or other machines.

   2007 July 19, Virginia Heffernan, “A Congregation Gathers to Worship the Shiny Hot Rod”, in The New York Times

3. rail transportA device which spreads sand on the rails in wet, snowy, icy, slippery conditions to improve traction.

   Grass growing on the track made the running far from easy, and only frequent use of the sanders enabled us to breast the 1 in 50 gradients between Letterkenny and Kilmacrenon [sic].

   1949 November and December, K. Longbottom, “By Goods Train to Gweedore”, in Railway Magazine, page 356

   1 more example

   Traditionally, sand was used to aid grip, being released onto the track in front of the wheels from a special 'sandbox'. However, the Slough accident led to two trials on the use of train-borne sanders to aid braking: [...] Now, all new stock is fitted with automatic sanders, as have most of the pre-1994 units still running.

   2021 November 17, Greg Morse, “Network News: Background: causes and effects of low adhesion and wheelslide”, in RAIL, number 944, pages 8–9

4. historicalA small device resembling a salt shaker but containing sand that was shaken over a document to remove excess ink.

plural Sanders

1. countableobsoleteuncountableA diminutive of the male given name Alexander, from Ancient Greek.
2. countableuncountableA surname transferred from the given name.
3. countableuncountableA village in Norway.