DictionaryAI

carpenter

USKAR-puhn-tur/ˈkɑɹpəntɚ/UKKAR-puhn-tuh/ˈkɑː.pən.tə/

Pluralcarpenters

Verbcarpenters, carpentering, carpentered

6 meanings of carpenter

Practice

  1. 1
    nouncountable
    A person whose job is building things from wood, like houses, stairs, and furniture.

    The carpenter built new shelves for our kitchen.

    Carpenters use saws, hammers, and nails every day.

    Similarjoiner, woodworker

    Note
  2. 2
    verbtransitive or intransitive
    To make or build things out of wood.

    He carpentered a small bench for the garden.

    She learned to carpenter when she was young.

    Similarbuild, construct

    Note
  3. 3
    nouncountable
    A big bee that digs tunnels in wood to make its nest.

    A big black carpenter buzzed around our porch and landed on the wooden rail.

    These carpenters made small round holes in our fence, and now they live inside them.

    Note
  4. 4
    nouncountable
    A crew member whose job is to take care of all the wooden parts of a ship.

    The ship's carpenter fixed the broken railing before we sailed.

    After the storm, the carpenter checked the lower parts of the ship for leaks.

    Note
  5. 5
    noundialectalBritishCanadacountable
    A small gray animal with many legs that lives in damp places under stones and old wood.

    We lifted a stone in the garden and lots of little carpenters ran away.

    A grey carpenter crawled slowly along the wet wall of the shed.

    Similarwoodlouse, slater

    Note
  6. 6
    nouncountable
    A cart with two wheels, pulled by a horse, that people ride in.

    The horse pulled the carpenter slowly up the steep hill.

    Long ago, people often went to market in a carpenter instead of a big wagon.

Practice

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Origin

It came through Old French and Anglo-Norman from Latin, where a 'carpentarius' meant a wagon-maker, from 'carpentum', a two-wheeled cart. That word came from a Celtic word for chariot.