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craft

   Also found in: Acronyms, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia, Hutchinson 0.03 sec.
craft  (krft)
n.
1. Skill in doing or making something, as in the arts; proficiency. See Synonyms at art1.
2. Skill in evasion or deception; guile.
3.
a. An occupation or trade requiring manual dexterity or skilled artistry.
b. The membership of such an occupation or trade; guild.
4. pl. craft A boat, ship, or aircraft.
tr.v. craft·ed, craft·ing, crafts
1. To make by hand.
2. Usage Problem To make or construct (something) in a manner suggesting great care or ingenuity: "It was not the Chamber of Commerce that crafted the public policies that have resulted in a $26 billion annual subvention to the farmers" William F. Buckley, Jr.

[Middle English, from Old English cræft.]

crafter n.
Usage Note: Craft has been used as a verb since the Old English period and was used in Middle English to refer specifically to the artful construction of a text or discourse. In recent years, crafted, the past participle of craft, has enjoyed a vogue as a participle referring to well-wrought writing. Craft is more acceptable when applied to literary works than to other sorts of writing, and more acceptable as a participle than as a verb. Seventy-three percent of the Usage Panel accepts the phrase beautifully crafted prose. By contrast, only 35 percent accept the sentence The planners crafted their proposal so as to anticipate the objections of local businesses.

craft
Noun
1. an occupation requiring skill or manual dexterity
2. skill or ability
3. cunning or guile
4. pl craft a boat, ship, aircraft, or spacecraft
Verb
to make skilfully [Old English cræft skill, strength]

Craft vessels collectively, 1671; a brotherhood of freemasons, 1430; those engaged in a craft or trade, 1362.
ThesaurusLegend:  Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Noun1.craftcraft - the skilled practice of a practical occupation; "he learned his trade as an apprentice"
job, line of work, occupation, business, line - the principal activity in your life that you do to earn money; "he's not in my line of business"
airplane mechanics - the craft of building and repairing airplanes
auto mechanics - the craft of building and repairing automobiles
basketry - the craft of basket making
carpentry, woodworking, woodwork - the craft of a carpenter: making things out of wood
drafting, mechanical drawing - the craft of drawing blueprints
dressmaking - the craft of making dresses
electrical work - the craft of an electrician
interior design, interior decoration - the trade of planning the layout and furnishings of an architectural interior
lumbering - the trade of cutting or preparing or selling timber
masonry - the craft of a mason
oculism - the craft of an oculist
house painting, painting - the occupation of a house painter; "house painting was the only craft he knew"
papermaking - the craft of making paper
pilotage, piloting - the occupation of a pilot
plumbery, plumbing - the occupation of a plumber (installing and repairing pipes and fixtures for water or gas or sewage in a building)
pottery - the craft of making earthenware
pyrotechny, pyrotechnics - the craft of making fireworks
cobbling, shoe repairing, shoemaking - the shoemaker's trade
roofing - the craft of a roofer
sheet-metal work - the craft of doing sheet metal work (as in ventilation systems)
shingling - the laying on of shingles; "shingling is a craft very different from carpentry"
tailoring - the occupation of a tailor
tool-and-die work - the craft of making special tools and dies
handicraft - a craft that requires skillful hands
mintage - act or process of minting coins
tanning - making leather from rawhide
typography - the craft of composing type and printing from it
undertaking - the trade of a funeral director
upholstery - the craft of upholstering
wine making, winemaking - the craft and science of growing grapes and making wine
2.craft - a vehicle designed for navigation in or on water or air or through outer space
aircraft - a vehicle that can fly
ground-effect machine, hovercraft - a craft capable of moving over water or land on a cushion of air created by jet engines
landing craft - naval craft designed for putting ashore troops and equipment
ballistic capsule, space vehicle, spacecraft - a craft capable of traveling in outer space; technically, a satellite around the sun
vehicle - a conveyance that transports people or objects
vessel, watercraft - a craft designed for water transportation
3.craftcraft - people who perform a particular kind of skilled work; "he represented the craft of brewers"; "as they say in the trade"
social class, socio-economic class, stratum, class - people having the same social, economic, or educational status; "the working class"; "an emerging professional class"
4.craftcraft - skill in an occupation or trade
acquirement, skill, accomplishment, attainment, acquisition - an ability that has been acquired by training
housecraft - skill in domestic management
priestcraft - the skills involved in the work of a priest
stagecraft - skill in writing or staging plays
tradecraft - skill acquired through experience in a trade; often used to discuss skill in espionage; "instructional designers are trained in something that might be called tradecraft"; "the CIA chief of station accepted responsibility for his agents' failures of tradecraft"
watercraft - skill in the management of boats
woodcraft - skill in carving or fashioning objects from wood
5.craftcraft - shrewdness as demonstrated by being skilled in deception
astuteness, perspicaciousness, perspicacity, shrewdness - intelligence manifested by being astute (as in business dealings)
Verb1.craft - make by hand and with much skill; "The artisan crafted a complicated tool"
fashion, forge - make out of components (often in an improvising manner); "She fashioned a tent out of a sheet and a few sticks"
handcraft - make something by hand; "We handcraft all our paper"
filigree - make filigree, as with a precious metal

craft
Translations
Spanish craft [krɑːft] n (= skill) → arte m (= trade); oficio (= cunning); astucia (= boat); embarcación f
French craft [krɑːft] nmétier (artisanal) (= cunning); ruse f, astuce f (= boat) (pl inv) → embarcation f, barque f (= plane) (pl inv) → appareil m
German craft [krɑːft] n (skill) → Geschicklichkeit f;
(art) → Kunsthandwerk nt;
(trade) → Handwerk nt;
(pl inv) (boat) → Boot nt;
(pl inv) (plane) → Flugzeug nt

Italian craft [krɑːft] nmestiere m (= cunning); astuzia (= boat); naviglio

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It had never been given me to see such deadly accuracy of aim, and it seemed as though a little figure on one of the craft dropped at the explosion of each bullet, while the banners and upper works dissolved in spurts of flame as the irresistible projectiles of our warriors mowed through them.
In great circles the air craft of the marauders swept lower and lower toward the defending forces of the therns.
Thrilling to the speed and the buoyancy and the obedience of the little craft the girl drove toward the northwest.
 
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