One of a board of town officers chosen annually in the New England States to transact the general public business of the town, and have a kind of executive authority. The number is usually from three to seven in each town.

One of the governing board of a New England town. This term originated in 1635 and today is used only in the New England States except Rhode Island. Only a "town" has a board of selectmen (or, nowadays, "selectboard") and all the adult residents have a vote at town meeting; a "city" has a city council with aldermen and there is no town meeting. In New England, a "town" can have 50,000 people while the "city" of Vergennes, Vermont (smallest city in the USA) has a population of only 2,578.

an elected member of a board of officials who run New England towns

a municipal employee