Carpenter

Pronunciation

• UK IPA: /ˈkɑː(ɹ).pÉ™n.tÉ™(ɹ)/

Origin

From Middle English, from Anglo-Norman carpentier, from Old Northern French (compare Old French charpantier), from Late Latin carpentārius ("a carpenter"), Latin carpentārius ("a wagon-maker, carriage-maker"), from Latin carpentum ("a two-wheeled carriage, coach, or chariot, a cart"), from Gaulish carbantos, from Proto-Celtic *karbantos ("chariot, war chariot"), probably related to Proto-Celtic *karros ("wagon"). More at car.

Full definition of carpenter

Noun

1. A person skilled at carpentry, the trade of cutting and joining timber in order to construct buildings or other structures.
2. (nautical) A senior rating in ships responsible for all the woodwork onboard; in the days of sail, a warrant officer responsible for the hull, masts, spars and boats of a ship, and whose responsibility was to sound the well to see if the ship was making water.
3. A two-wheeled carriage

Synonyms

• joiner
• chippy

Related terms

• carpentry noun
• The Carpenter jocular: Jesus Christ