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craft

USKRAFT/kɹæft/UKKRAHFT/kɹɑːft/

Verbcrafts, crafting, crafted

Noun pluralcraft, crafts

16 meanings of craft

Practice

  1. 1
    verbtransitive
    To make or develop something with skill and care, often by hand.

    Lawmakers met for weeks to craft a compromise bill.

    The author carefully crafted each chapter of the novel.

    UsageCommon in craft a plan, craft a message, carefully crafted.

    Similarcreate, fashion, shape, devise, forge

    Note

    The hands drop out of the verb here. What gets crafted is often abstract: a policy, a compromise, even a state, as in "state crafting" and "the process of crafting global policing". The verb lends deliberate, careful construction to work done with words and negotiation. That is why it sits comfortably in political and academic prose.

    Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 1 fact

    • The examples "state crafting" and "the process of crafting global policing" are attested verb examples. en.wiktionary.org
  2. 2
    handmade goodsnouncollectivecountable or uncountable
    Objects produced by hand, typically ornamental pieces or useful goods for the home, such as pottery, baskets, or woven textiles.
    [Canton] has a large export trade in hand-made crafts, ivory and furniture.
    1911, Timberman
    Note

    Handmade goods counted in bulk, so the word usually appears in the plural or as a collective. The trade journal Timberman in 1911 lists Canton's exports as "hand-made crafts, ivory and furniture". There the word stands alongside other commodities in a list of goods. Handicrafts is the longer, more explicit equivalent.

    Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 2 facts

  3. 3
    skilled tradenouncountable
    A branch of skilled work or trade, especially one needing manual dexterity or artistic skill, such as pottery or carpentry.

    Woodworking is a craft that takes years to master.

    She learned the craft of bookbinding from her grandmother.

    UsageOften learn a craft or learn your craft, and the craft of + activity: the craft of bookbinding.

    Similartrade, profession, art, handicraft

    Note

    It pairs naturally with a possessive or an "of" phrase, as in the carpenter's craft or Longfellow's "craft of the smith". Freeman's "craft of the woods" (1871) shows the word stretching beyond the workshop to any practiced skill, here hunting.

    Checked 2 Nov 2026 · 3 facts

    • Longfellow uses the phrase "craft of the smith" in Evangeline. gutenberg.org
    • Freeman's quoted phrase occurs in a volume first published in 1871. archive.org
    • Freeman uses "craft of the woods" to refer to hunting. archive.org
  4. 4
    skillnoununcountable
    Skill or artistry, especially the skill needed for a particular profession.

    The novel is written with remarkable craft.

    After twenty years on stage, the actor still works every day to perfect his craft.

    UsageOften perfect or hone your craft, or with great craft.

    Similarcraftsmanship, workmanship

    Note

    Ben Jonson in 1641 separates the poem, the work, from the poet's "skill or craft of making".

  5. 5
    nouncountable
    A boat, ship, aircraft, or spacecraft, especially a small boat.

    Mission control lost contact with the craft shortly after it entered orbit.

    The harbor patrol ordered all craft, from sailboats to seaplanes, to stay out of the channel during the storm.

    UsageThe plural has no -s: two craft (not incorrect: two crafts), like aircraft and spacecraft.

    Similarvessel

    Note

    In older nautical writing the word was narrower. It meant small working boats, especially the lighters, hoys and barges that loaded and unloaded larger ships, and also the smaller vessels that attended a fleet, such as cutters, schooners and gunboats.

  6. 6
    combine (games)verbtransitive
    Especially in video games, to make a new object, such as a weapon, piece of armor, or potion, by putting together materials or ingredients that have been gathered.

    You can craft a healing potion from herbs and water.

    Players craft weapons by gathering rare ore and wood.

    UsageUsually craft something from materials: craft a potion from herbs. Players also just say time to craft.

    Similarmake, create, build, forge

    Note

    Gathered components go in and a new item comes out, following a set recipe. The word here implies no artistry, only combining the right ingredients.

  7. 7
    adjective
    Produced in limited quantities by an independent maker following traditional methods, most often said of beer or spirits.

    Their craft stout sold out within an hour of the beer festival opening.

    The bar's menu lists a dozen craft whiskeys from small distilleries in Kentucky.

    Similarartisanal

    Oppositemass-produced

    Note

    An adjective that almost always sits directly before its noun: craft beer, craft whiskeys, a craft brewery. It is easily confused with the noun used the same way, as in a craft fair or a craft shop, which points to handmade objects rather than to small-batch production. Beer and spirits are its home ground.

Practice

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Origin

From Middle English craft ("strength, skill"), from Old English cræft, going back through Proto-West Germanic *kraftu to Proto-Germanic *kraftuz ("strength, power"); its further origin is obscure. It is related to German Kraft and Danish kraft, both meaning "strength, power, force."

Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 7 facts