Craftsman. World English Historical Dictionary

Craftsman. World English Historical Dictionary Dictionary Biographies Literary Criticism Welcome Terms of Service ⧏ Previous Next ⧐ Contents Slice Contents Key Bibliographic Record Murray’s New English Dictionary. 1893, rev. 2025. Craftsman

Forms: 4–6 craftes, craftis man, (4 craftus, craftise man, 5 craftiesman), 5–6 craftis-, craftys-, craftesman, 6–7 craftes-, crafts-man, 6– craftsman. [Orig. two words in syntactical relation: cf. tradesman.]

1

  1.  A man who practises a handicraft; an artificer, artisan.

2

1362.  Langl., P. Pl., A. III. 218. Alle kunne craftes men. Ibid., VII. 63. Alle kunnes craftus men.

3

1382.  Wyclif, 1 Chron. xxii. 15. Many craftise men, masouns and leyers, and craftisemen of trees, and of alle craftis.

4

1467.  in Eng. Gilds (1870), 388. Eny craftiesman, artificer or other.

5

1549.  Compl. Scot., xvii. 150. Ane pure mecanyk craftis man.

6

1630.  R. Johnson’s Kingd. & Commw., 133. The Merchant liveth obscurely, the Tradesman penuriously, and the Craftsman in drudgerie.

7

1742.  Col. Rec. Pennsylv., IV. 544. The Craftsmen have proclaimed aloud that their privileges were in Danger.

8

1841.  Myers, Cath. Th., III. § 43. The commonest fisherman or craftsman who was a hearer of the Apostles.

9

  2.  transf. and fig. † a. Maker, artificer, inventor, contriver. Obs.

10

1382.  Wyclif, Wisd. xiii. 1. Thei … ne … knewen who was craftis man.

11

1494.  Fabyan, Chron., VII. 299. The kynge sayd … in game, ‘I am a wonder craftesman, for I haue made a newe erle of an olde bysshop.’

12

1561.  T. Norton, Calvin’s Inst., IV. 122. Such a presence of Christ in the Sacrament, as the craftesmen of the Court of Rome haue fayned.

13

  b.  = ARTIST 7.

14

1876.  Morris, Sigurd, III. 224. Lovelier now is she Than a picture deftly painted by the craftsmen over sea.

15

1877.  Dowden, Shaks. Prim., v. 58. Shakspere was learning his trade as a dramatic craftsman.

16

  3.  Comb., as craftsmanlike adj.

17

1881.  G. Saintsbury, in Academy, 11 June, 433. Craftsmanlike skill.

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