craft

craft
\ \ [OE] The original notion contained in the word craft is that of ‘strength’ (that is the meaning of its relatives in other Germanic languages, such as German and Swedish kraft).
\ \ Old English croeft had that sense too (it had largely died out by the 16th century), but it had also developed some other meanings, which are not shared by its Germanic cognates: ‘skill’, for example (in a bad as well as a good sense, whence crafty) and ‘trade’ or ‘profession’. Much later in origin, however (17th-century in fact), is the sense ‘ship’. It is not clear how this developed, but it may have been a shortening of some such expression as ‘vessel of the sailor’s craft’ (that is, ‘trade’). The word’s Germanic stem was *krab- or *kraf-, which some have seen also as the source of crave [OE].
\ \ Cf.⇒ CRAVE

Word origins - 2ed. . 2005.

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  • Craft — (kr[.a]ft), n. [AS. cr[ae]ft strength, skill, art, cunning; akin to OS., G., Sw., & Dan. kraft strength, D. kracht, Icel. kraptr; perh. originally, a drawing together, stretching, from the root of E. cramp.] 1. Strength; might; secret power. [Obs …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • craft´i|ly — craft|y «KRAF tee, KRAHF », adjective, craft|i|er, craft|i|est. 1. skillful in deceiving others; sly; tricky: »a crafty villain. The crafty fox lured the rabbit from its hole …   Useful english dictionary

  • craft|y — «KRAF tee, KRAHF », adjective, craft|i|er, craft|i|est. 1. skillful in deceiving others; sly; tricky: »a crafty villain. The crafty fox lured the rabbit from its hole …   Useful english dictionary

  • craft — [krɑːft ǁ kræft] noun [countable] JOBS a job or activity that takes a lot of skill, usually one in which you make things using your hands and special tools: • the blacksmith s craft • He learnt the film making craft at Pinewood studios …   Financial and business terms

  • craft — [n1] expertise, skill ability, adeptness, adroitness, aptitude, art, artistry, cleverness, competence, cunning, dexterity, expertness, ingenuity, knack, know how*, proficiency, technique; concepts 409,706 craft [n2] deceit, scheme art, artfulness …   New thesaurus

  • craft — [kraft, kräft] n. [ME < OE cræft, strength, power; akin to Ger kraft, strength, force (sense “skill” only in E) < IE * grep < base * ger , to twist, turn (see CRADLE): basic sense “cramping of muscles during exertion of strength”] 1. a… …   English World dictionary

  • Craft — Craft, v. t. To play tricks; to practice artifice. [Obs.] [1913 Webster] You have crafted fair. Shak. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • -craft — [kraft, kräft] 〚/span> CRAFT〛 combining form the work, skill, or practice of * * * …   Universalium

  • -craft — [kraft, kräft] [< CRAFT] combining form the work, skill, or practice of …   English World dictionary

  • craft — index business (occupation), calling, career, contrivance, deception, device (contrivance), discretion …   Law dictionary

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