smith

The word “smith” means a craftsperson who shapes metal by hammering, especially a blacksmith. In plain terms, someone who works metal into tools or shapes using heat and a hammer.

“Smith” is pronounced smihth (/smɪθ/ in IPA).

Here is “smith” used in a sentence: “The village smith repaired horseshoes and tools.”

Words with a similar meaning to “smith” include metalsmith.

Depending on how it is used, “smith” can be a noun and a verb.

The word “smith” comes from Old English. From Old English smiþ, "smith," from a Proto-Germanic root possibly meaning "to smear or spread" — the same root also gave English words related to smearing metal into shape.

“Smith” is a very common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A1 level.

“Smith” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a craftsperson who shapes metal by hammering, especially a blacksmith.

'Smith' is a general term for anyone who shapes metal, while a blacksmith works specifically with iron and steel — the 'black' metals that darken when heated. So every blacksmith is a smith, but a smith might instead work with gold, silver, or other metals.

The type is usually named after the metal or product. A goldsmith and silversmith work precious metals, a coppersmith works copper, and a gunsmith makes and repairs firearms. A locksmith handles locks, a bladesmith forges knives, and a farrier shoes horses. The blacksmith remains the most familiar.

A smith shapes metal into useful objects, traditionally by heating it in a forge until it softens, then hammering it against an anvil. They make and repair tools, weapons, hardware, and decorative ironwork. The craft combines physical strength with precise control of heat and form.

Smith is an occupational surname, taken from the once-widespread trade of metalworking. Nearly every village needed a smith to make tools, horseshoes, and nails, so the name arose independently in many places. As a result, Smith became one of the most common surnames in the English-speaking world.