weaver
1 Americannoun
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James Baird, 1833–1912, U.S. politician: congressman 1879–81, 1885–89.
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Robert Clifton, 1907–97, U.S. economist and government official: first Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, 1966–68.
noun
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a person who weaves, esp as a means of livelihood
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short for weaverbird
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of weaver
First recorded in 1325–75, weaver is from the Middle English word wevere. See weave, -er 1
Explanation
A person who makes fabric by weaving fiber together is a weaver. Most weavers use a loom, a device that holds the threads tightly as they're being woven. A craft weaver works by hand, weaving without a loom, but most weavers use either a hand loom or a power loom. This more mechanized type of loom was invented in the 1780s, and it made the work less physically taxing for weavers. The Proto-Indo-European root of weaver is also the source of the Sanskrit word ubhnati, "he laces together" and the Greek word hyphe, or "web."
Vocabulary lists containing weaver
Name That Job: Occupational Last Names
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Founded by Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg and James Weaver, Point Grey Pictures has had a successful awards season with its comedic hit, “The Studio.”
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 15, 2026
Weaver has aired his frustrations through YouTube videos, sparking a wave of agreement in the comments section.
From MarketWatch • May 23, 2026
William Cobb and Todd Weaver, Freeport’s vice president and senior counsel, respectively, emailed the EPA in March 2025 to request a reprieve from the Clean Air Act.
From Salon • May 10, 2026
Sigourney Weaver, who joins the franchise after starring in films including Alien and Avatar, said the emotional storytelling was part of the appeal of joining the project.
From BBC • May 7, 2026
“I may be sort of panicky,” he told Weaver, “but I am afraid of the general international situation.”
From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.