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noun C1 Advanced Uncommon

carpenter

KAH-puhn-tuh

Carpenter (noun) means a person skilled in cutting, shaping, and joining wood to build or repair structures and furniture. Example: “The carpenter built a custom bookshelf for the study.”

noun
1
A person skilled in cutting, shaping, and joining wood to build or repair structures and furniture.
"The carpenter built a custom bookshelf for the study."
"She trained as a carpenter after finishing her apprenticeship."
verb
1
To work as a carpenter; to build or repair things in wood.
"He spent weekends carpentering in his garage workshop."

How to Use Carpenter

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishSomeone whose job is building or fixing things made of wood — houses, furniture, frames, and so on.

Common pairings
a skilled carpenter carpenter's tools hire a carpenter

Word Forms

carpentered past tense, carpenters plural, Carpenters plural, carpenters singular

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The _____ built a custom bookshelf for the study.

Etymology

From Old French carpentier, ultimately from Latin carpentarius, "maker of a carriage or cart" — the word originally meant a builder of wagons before it narrowed to mean a general woodworker.

Origin: Latin

Rhymes for carpenter

See all rhymes for carpenter →

Frequently Asked Questions

What does “carpenter” mean?

The word “carpenter” means a person skilled in cutting, shaping, and joining wood to build or repair structures and furniture. In plain terms, someone whose job is building or fixing things made of wood — houses, furniture, frames, and so on.

How do you pronounce “carpenter”?

“Carpenter” is pronounced KAH-puhn-tuh (/ˈkɑɹpəntɚ/ in IPA).

How do you use “carpenter” in a sentence?

Here is “carpenter” used in a sentence: “The carpenter built a custom bookshelf for the study.”

What part of speech is “carpenter”?

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

Where does the word “carpenter” come from?

The word “carpenter” comes from Latin. From Old French carpentier, ultimately from Latin carpentarius, "maker of a carriage or cart" — the word originally meant a builder of wagons before it narrowed to mean a general woodworker.

Is “carpenter” a common word?

“Carpenter” is an uncommon word in modern English, usually learned at around the C1 level.

How many meanings does “carpenter” have?

“Carpenter” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a person skilled in cutting, shaping, and joining wood to build or repair structures and furniture.

Definitions: FreeDict original editorial