blacksmith

American  

[blak-smith] / ˈblækˌsmɪθ /

noun

1. a person who makes horseshoes and shoes horses.

2. a person who forges objects of iron.

3. a blackish damselfish, Chromis punctipinnis, inhabiting coastal waters off southern California.

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blacksmith British  

/ ˈblækˌsmɪθ /

noun

1. an artisan who works iron with a furnace, anvil, hammer, etc

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Etymology

Origin of blacksmith

1250–1300; Middle English; see black (in reference to iron or black metal), smith ( def. ); cf. whitesmith

Explanation

A blacksmith is someone who makes tools and other objects out of metal. Working as a blacksmith involves heating metal then bending and hammering it into the desired shape. Blacksmiths mainly work with iron and steel, heating it until it's soft enough to bend, fold, and shape using tools. A blacksmith can make things like wrought iron fences and gates, knives and other cooking utensils, and metal light fixtures. While today many metal items once made by blacksmiths are mass produced in factories, there's a renewed interest in learning to make metal objects by hand.

Example Sentences

He and his family live in the small, picturesque town of Blacksmith, which is fictionalized.

From Salon • Feb. 15, 2023

Blacksmith artist Erick Forsyth is a throwback to that bygone era.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 18, 2021

Looking back on his career so far, he has benefited from several black mentors, like Tim Blacksmith.

From BBC • Sep. 21, 2021

Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop, a bar in an 18th century building on Bourbon Street, also is closing.

From Washington Times • Jul. 15, 2020

“All the good boxers have names. There’s Napoleon, the Belfast Spider, the Fighting Blacksmith, the Trojan Giant, and His Fistic Holiness. The last one’s my favorite. I wish I’d thought of it.”

From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros