workman
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
a man who does physical work for a living, often involving building or repairs.
a male individual employed to perform manual labour, typically for hourly or daily wages.
Simple“The workman arrived early to fix the leaking pipe in the bathroom.”
In context“Several workmen were hired to clear the debris from the construction site before the new foundation could be poured.”
UsageOften used in the plural 'workmen' to refer to a crew of labourers.
- 02 C1 Advanced
a man who is very skilled at making things by hand.
a skilled artisan or craftsman who demonstrates technical proficiency in a specific trade.
Simple“He was a fine workman who took great pride in his wood carvings.”
In context“The restoration of the cathedral required a master workman capable of replicating the intricate stonework of the fourteenth century.”
Teacher's tipThis sense is often found in the proverb 'a bad workman always blames his tools,' meaning someone who lacks skill will blame their equipment for their failure.
From Middle English werkman, from Old English weorcmann (“workman”), from Proto-West Germanic werkamann, from Proto-Germanic werkamann- (“workman”), equivalent to work + -man. Compare Dutch werkman (“workman”), German Werkmann (“labourer, workman”), Icelandic verkamaður (“workman”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.