Etymology Inherited from Middle English craft (“strength, skill”), from Old English cræft (“strength, skill”), from Proto-West Germanic *kraftu, from Proto-Germanic *kraftuz (“strength, power”); further origin obscure. Cognate with Dutch kracht (“strength, power, force”), German Kraft (“strength, power, force, energy, employee”), Danish, Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk, and Swedish kraft (“strength, power, force”), Faroese and Icelandic kraftur (“strength”).
By the craft of nature.1526, William Bonde, Pylgrimage of Perfection:
› Intellectual power; skill; art.
2
Ability, skillfulness, especially skill in making plans and carrying them into execution; dexterity in managing affairs, adroitness, practical cunning; ingenuity in constructing, dexterity .
The Cyclôpes were Brontês, Steropês, and Argês,—formidable persons, equally distinguished for strength and for manual craft […]1846, George Grote, A history of Greece:
England should have had enough against a very ordinary Russia to complete the job but Rooney's removal robbed them of his craft and guidance and now increases the pressure on Thursday's meeting with Wales in Lens.2016 June 11, Phil McNulty, “England 1-1 Russia”, in BBC Sport:
3
Cunning, art, skill, or dexterity applied to bad purposes; artifice; guile; subtlety; shrewdness as demonstrated by being skilled in deception .
[…]and the chiefe Priests, and the Scribes sought how they might take him by craft, and put him to death.1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Mark 14:1:
[…] you have that Crooked Wisdome, which is called Craft […]1651, Thomas Hobbes, Leviathan, or The Matter, Forme, & Power of a Common-wealth Ecclesiasticall and Civill, London: […] [William Wilson] for Andrew Crooke, […], →OCLC:
1 more example
We have not the strength with which to fight this man; we must dissimulate, and win, if win we can, by craft.1904, Jack London, The Sea-Wolf (Macmillan’s Standard Library), New York, N.Y.: Grosset & Dunlap, →OCLC:
Obsolete, In the general sense A work or product of art .
6
Collective, Obsolete, In the general sense Handmade items, especially domestic or decorative objects; handicrafts .
[Canton] has a large export trade in hand-made crafts, ivory and furniture.1911 January 23, Timberman:
7
Obsolete A device, a means; a magical device, spell or enchantment .
For your entente I shall a craft devise […] That ye shall haue your purpose euery dele.c. 1440, Generydes. A royal historie of the excellent knight Generides:
8
Obsolete Learning of the schools, scholarship; a branch of learning or knowledge, a science, especially one of the ‘seven liberal arts’ of the medieval universities .
[…] Þe seuen craftes all he can […]a. 1325, Cursor Mundi, page 272:
9
Skill, skilfulness, art, especially the skill needed for a particular profession .
The craft of writing plays.
A poem […] is the work of the poet; the end and fruit of his labour and study. Poesy is his skill or craft of making; the very fiction itself, the reason or form of the work.1640, Ben Jonson, Timber: or Discoveries made upon Men and Matter, page 213:
1 more example
It is counted […] good workmanship in a Joyner, to have the craft of bearing his hand so curiously even, the whole length of a long Board.1678, Joseph Moxon, Mechanick exercises, or The doctrine of handy-works:
10
Arts, Crafts, Hobbies, Lifestyle A branch of skilled work or trade, especially one requiring manual dexterity or artistic skill, but sometimes applied equally to any business, calling or profession; the skilled practice of a practical occupation .
The carpenter's craft.
He learned his craft as an apprentice.
4 more examples
[…] For since the birth of time, throughout all ages and nations, / Has the craft of the smith been held in repute by the people.1847, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Evangeline, A Tale of Acadie, page 281:
Fond as William was of the craft of the woods, he was the least likely of all men to let his sport stand in the way of his interest.1871, Edward Augustus Freeman, The history of the Norman conquest, page 250:
The great preachers were masters of their craft.1991, James Munson, The Nonconformists: In Search of a Lost Culture, page 113:
This was billed as the battle between Kane and his Poland opposite number Lewandowski but this was a game where it was possible to simply enjoy two masters of their craft at work.2021 September 8, Phil McNulty, “Poland 1-1 England”, in BBC Sport:
11
A trade or profession as embodied in its practitioners collectively; the members of a trade or handicraft as a body; an association of these; a trade's union, guild, or ‘company’ .
She represented the craft of brewers.
12
A vehicle designed for navigation in or on water or air or through outer space .
Thanks to British designer Ross Kemp, the world has been graced with a solar-powered watercraft that costs just a third of the price of your average powered water craft.2013 August 6, Monique Rivilland, “This ski and surf combo could save your life”, in CNN Business, archived from the original on 18 Feb 2015:
13
Nautical, Transport Boats, especially of smaller size than ships. Historically primarily applied to vessels engaged in loading or unloading of other vessels, as lighters, hoys, and barges.
Quite near could also be seen several ancient wooden warships, and always a variety of craft slipping up and down the tideway.1951 October, R. S. McNaught, “Lines of Approach”, in Railway Magazine, page 705:
14
Nautical, TransportBritish Royal Navy Those vessels attendant on a fleet, such as cutters, schooners, and gunboats, generally commanded by lieutenants.
“A tight little craft,” was Austin’s invariable comment on the matron; and she looked it, always trim and trig and smooth of surface like a converted yacht cleared for action.1907 August, Robert W[illiam] Chambers, chapter IX, in The Younger Set, New York, N.Y.: D. Appleton & Company, →OCLC:
16
Fishing, Hobbies, Lifestyle Implements used in catching fish, such as net, line, or hook. Modern use primarily in whaling, as in harpoons, hand-lances, etc. .
And whereas the continual Interruption of the Courſe and Paſſage of the Fiſh up the Rivers, by the daily drawing of Seins and other Fiſh-Craft, tends to prevent their Increaſe,[…]a. 1784, T. Green, “An Act for encouraging and regulating Fiſheries”, in Acts and Laws of the State of Connecticut, in America, page 79:
The whaling craft consists of harpoons, lances, lines, and sealskin buoys, all of their own workmanship.1869 April 27, C. M. Scammon, “On the Cetaceans of the Western Coast of North America”, in Edward D. Cope, editor, Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, volume 21, page 46:
3 more examples
From the mate’s boat they removed, at his direction, all whaling gear and craft except the oars and a single lance.a. 1923, Charles Boardman Hawes, “A Boy Who Went Whaling”, in The Highest Hit: and Other Selections by Newbery Authors, Gareth Stevens Publishing, published 2001, →ISBN, page 47:
[…]Temple, a negro of New Bedford, who made ‘whalecraft’, that is, was a blacksmith engaged in working from iron the special utensils or ‘craft’ of the whaling trade.1950, Discovery Reports, volume 26, Cambridge University Press, page 318:
The men raced about decks collecting the whaling craft and gear and putting them into the boats, while all the time the lookouts hollered from above.1991, Joan Druett, Petticoat Whalers: Whaling Wives at Sea, 1820–1920, University Press of New England, published 2001, →ISBN, page 55:
Etymology Inherited from Middle English craft (“strength, skill”), from Old English cræft (“strength, skill”), from Proto-West Germanic *kraftu, from Proto-Germanic *kraftuz (“strength, power”); further origin obscure. Cognate with Dutch kracht (“strength, power, force”), German Kraft (“strength, power, force, energy, employee”), Danish, Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk, and Swedish kraft (“strength, power, force”), Faroese and Icelandic kraftur (“strength”).
1
To make by hand and with much skill.
2
To construct, develop something (like a skilled craftsman).
state crafting; the process of crafting global policing
3
Video games To combine multiple items to form a new item, such as armour or medicine.