noun
workman
WURK-mun/ˈwɜːrkmən/
A man who does manual work or a skilled trade.
The workman repairs the wooden door's hinge with a screwdriver.
Etymology
The compound identifies a man by his labor. It already referred to hired manual workers in Old English and also came to include practitioners of skilled trades or crafts.
In context
The workman replied, Señor, this gentleman here pointing to a man of prepossessing appearance and a certain gravity of look has translated an Italian book into our Spanish tongue, and I am setting it up in type
More examples
- Two workmen unload bags of cement from the truck.
- The workman measures each board before cutting it.
- We hired a skilled workman to restore the stone fireplace.
Forms
workman · workmen
workmanship noun — The skill shown in making something.
workmanlike adjective — Showing competent, practical skill without flair.
Similar words
- laborer
- Usually emphasizes physical labor rather than a specialized skilled trade.
- tradesman
- Specifically refers to a man trained in a skilled trade.
- worker
- Includes people of any gender doing manual or nonmanual work.