noun
wainwright
WAYN-ryte/wˈeɪnrˌaɪt/
A person who builds or repairs wagons.
The wainwright fits a wooden wheel onto the partly assembled wagon's axle.
Etymology
The compound names a wagon-maker by combining the vehicle with an old word for a worker or maker. That once broader worker-word survives chiefly in compounds naming craftspeople and in surnames.
More examples
- A skilled wainwright built this wagon from oak.
- Two wainwrights work together to replace the wagon's axle.
- The museum shows how a wainwright fits wheels to a wagon.
Forms
wainwright · wainwrights
Similar words
- wagon maker
- Uses familiar words and emphasizes construction rather than repair.