craft

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   An activity that involves making things skilfully with your hands.

   Pottery is an ancient craft.

2. 2
   noun

   Skill in making or doing something well.

   She has mastered the craft of writing plays.

3. 3
   noun

   A particular skilled trade or profession.

   He learned the carpenter's craft from his father.

4. 4
   verb

   To make something carefully and skilfully by hand.

   The artisan crafted a beautiful wooden bowl.

Appears in

Simplified etymology

Craft comes from an Old English word meaning “strength” or “skill.” Its nautical sense developed in the 17th century, initially in small craft, perhaps referring to vessels requiring relatively little skill to handle. The related crafty once meant “skillful” before developing its modern sense “cunning or sly.”

Etymology tree Proto-Germanic *krafjaną Proto-Indo-European *-tus Proto-Germanic *-þuz Proto-Germanic *kraftuz Proto-West Germanic *kraftu Old English cræft Middle English craft English craft Inherited from Middle English craft (“strength, skill”), from Old English cræft (“strength, skill”), from Proto-West Germanic *kraftu, from Proto-Germanic *kraftuz (“strength, power”); further origin obscure. Cognate with German Kraft (“strength, power, force, energy, employee”) and Danish kraft (“strength, power, force”).

Topics

External links

• Google Images
• Cambridge Dictionary
• Wiktionary