joiner meaning: definition, etymology and quotations

joiner

noun

US /ˈd͡ʒɔɪnɚ/ · UK /ˈd͡ʒɔɪnə/

Etymology From Middle English joynour (“maker of furniture, small boxes, etc.”), from Old French joigneor (“joiner, carpenter”), agent noun from joindre (“to join”), equivalent to join + -er.

A maker of wooden furniture or fittings.

A woodworking machine used to prepare edges of wooden elements to join to other wood pieces.

Derived terms: biscuit joiner
Hypernyms: carpenter

joiner

noun

Etymology From join + -er.

A thing that joins two separate items, e.g. software to connect video or music clips.

The zero-width joiner (ZWJ) has a code point but no corresponding symbol. It is used to connect two or more other Unicode code points to create a new "compound character" with a unique glyph all its own. […] I'm making a point of mentioning Ninja Cat because it is another example of the use of zero-width joiners.2016 November 14, Rob Reed, “Everything You Need To Know About Emoji”, in Smashing Magazine, archived from the original on 12 Feb 2025:

A person who joins societies or organizations.

I am not a joiner. I am reluctant to sign up as a member of any organization, because I generally can't find myself or my ideas in it.2004, Eugene Goodheart, Confessions of a Secular Jew: A Memoir:
The resistance has lifelong joiners, alumni from environmental and housing movements and young organizers.2026 June 12, Tressie McMillan Cottom, “This Could Be the Winning Issue for Democrats”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:

Historical Synonym of hensopper.

Derived terms: nonjoiner, zero-width joiner, zero-width non-joiner