craft

== English == === Etymology === 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 Dutch kracht (“strength, power, force”), German Kraft (“strength, power, force, energy, employee”), Danish, Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk, and Swedish kraft (“strength, power, force”), Faroese and Icelandic kraftur (“strength”). === Pronunciation === (Received Pronunciation, General South African) IPA(key): /ˈkɹɑːft/ (Australian, New Zealand) IPA(key): /ˈkɹäːft/, /ˈkɹɐ̞ːft/ Rhymes: -ɑːft (General American, Standard Canadian) IPA(key): /ˈkɹæft/ Rhymes: -æft Hyphenation: craft === Noun === craft (countable and uncountable, plural craft or crafts) (uncountable, obsolete) Strength; power; might; force [9th century]. Synonyms: potence, strength; see also Thesaurus:power (uncountable) Intellectual power; skill; art. Synonyms: technique, proficiency; see also Thesaurus:skill Ability, skillfulness, especially skill in making plans and carrying them into execution; dexterity in managing affairs, adroitness, practical cunning; ingenuity in constructing, dexterity [9th century]. Cunning, art, skill, or dexterity applied to bad purposes; artifice; guile; subtlety; shrewdness as demonstrated by being skilled in deception [13th century]. Synonyms: craftiness, cunning, foxiness, guile, slyness, wiliness; see also Thesaurus:cunning (obsolete) Occult art, magic [13th century]. Synonyms: black art, goety, sorcery; see also Thesaurus:magic (countable, obsolete in the general sense) A work or product of art [c. 1000]. (collective or plural) Handmade items, especially domestic or decorative objects; handicrafts [20th century]. (countable, obsolete) A device, a means; a magical device, spell or enchantment [13th century]. Synonyms: charm, talisman; dwimmer, hex; see also Thesaurus:amulet, Thesaurus:magic spell (countable, obsolete) Learning of the schools, scholarship; a branch of learning or knowledge, a science, especially one of the ‘seven liberal arts’ of the medieval universities [13th century]. (uncountable) Skill, skilfulness, art, especially the skill needed for a particular profession [9th century]. Synonyms: craftsmanship, workmanship (countable, plural crafts) A branch of skilled work or trade, especially one requiring manual dexterity or artistic skill, but sometimes applied equally to any business, calling or profession; the skilled practice of a practical occupation [since the 9th century]. Synonyms: art, trade, handicraft, business, profession (countable) A trade or profession as embodied in its practitioners collectively; the members of a trade or handicraft as a body; an association of these; a trade's union, guild, or ‘company’ [15th century]. (countable, plural craft) A vehicle designed for navigation in or on water or air or through outer space [since the 17th century]. (nautical) Boats, especially of smaller size than ships. Historically primarily applied to vessels engaged in loading or unloading of other vessels, as lighters, hoys, and barges. (nautical, British Royal Navy) Those vessels attendant on a fleet, such as cutters, schooners, and gunboats, generally commanded by lieutenants. (figurative) A woman. (countable, fishing) Implements used in catching fish, such as net, line, or hook. Modern use primarily in whaling, as in harpoons, hand-lances, etc. [17th century]. ==== Usage notes ==== The plural craft is used to refer to vehicles. All other senses use the plural crafts. ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Translations ==== === Verb === craft (third-person singular simple present crafts, present participle crafting, simple past and past participle crafted) To make by hand and with much skill. To construct, develop something (like a skilled craftsman). state crafting; the process of crafting global policing (video games) To combine multiple items to form a new item, such as armour or medicine. ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Translations ==== === References === Krueger, Dennis (December 1982). "Why On Earth Do They Call It Throwing?" Studio Potter Vol. 11, Number 1 (journal website). === Anagrams === fract == Middle English == === Alternative forms === carft, craf, creft === Etymology === From Old English cræft, from Proto-West Germanic *kraftu, from Proto-Germanic *kraftuz. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /kraft/ === Noun === craft (plural craftes) trade union or guild skill ==== Descendants ==== English: craft Scots: craft Yola: creff ==== References ==== “craft, n.(1)”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007. == Old Dutch == === Alternative forms === kraft, creft === Etymology === From Proto-West Germanic *kraftu. === Noun === craft f strength, power, force ==== Inflection ==== ==== Derived terms ==== megincraft uncraft ==== Descendants ==== Middle Dutch: cracht, craftDutch: krachtAfrikaans: kragLimburgish: krach ==== Further reading ==== “kraht”, in Oudnederlands Woordenboek, 2012