# carpenter

/ˈkɑɹpəntɝ/ (US) · /kˈɑːpəntɐ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/carpenter
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 1. woodworker

noun · CEFR A2

a person whose job is to make or repair things made of wood, like furniture or parts of a house.

For teachers: a skilled craftsperson who constructs, installs, and repairs wooden structures and fixtures.

- The carpenter fixed the broken wooden stairs in our old house.
- The master carpenter spent weeks hand-carving the intricate mahogany panels for the library's ceiling.

### 2. ship's officer

noun · CEFR C1 · Technical

a person on a ship who is in charge of fixing and looking after all the wooden parts.

For teachers: a senior rating or warrant officer on a vessel responsible for the maintenance of the hull and wooden fittings.

- The ship's carpenter checked the wooden deck for leaks after the storm.
- In the era of sail, the carpenter held a vital warrant, tasked with ensuring the integrity of the masts and sounding the well daily.

### 3. woodlouse

noun · CEFR C2 · British English · Dialect

a small grey insect-like creature with a hard shell that lives in damp places.

For teachers: a regional name for a woodlouse, a small terrestrial isopod crustacean.

- When I lifted the old log, I saw a few carpenters scurrying away.
- The local dialect in parts of the West Country refers to the common woodlouse as a carpenter.

### 4. to do woodwork

verb · CEFR B2

to do the work of a carpenter, like cutting and joining wood.

For teachers: to perform the work of a carpenter; to construct or repair through carpentry.

- He spent his weekends carpentering in his small garage workshop.
- She had spent the better part of the summer carpentering a set of bespoke bookshelves for her study.

Usage: can be used both with and without a direct object.

## Examples

- The carpenter is fixing the broken wooden door.
- We hired a local carpenter to build custom bookshelves for the new office space.
- The master carpenter spent weeks selecting the perfect oak planks to ensure the grain matched across the entire surface of the dining table.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.