stonecutter

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   a person who cuts, carves, or dresses stone

   The stonecutter shaped the limestone blocks to fit the arch.

2. 2
   noun

   a machine used to cut or dress stone or concrete

   The workshop installed a water-cooled stonecutter for slicing granite slabs.

A compound of stone and cutter, recorded from the 16th century. Stone descends from Old English stan, and cutter is the agent noun from cut. The occupational sense came first; the same compound was later applied to machines that perform the work. Stone-cutter is a historical hyphenated spelling.

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