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carpentry

American  
[kahr-puhn-tree] / ˈkɑr pən tri /

noun

  1. the trade of a carpenter.

    He earned his living at carpentry.

  2. the work produced by a carpenter.

  3. the way in which something, especially a work of literature, is structured.


carpentry British  
/ ˈkɑːpɪntrɪ /

noun

  1. the art or technique of working wood

  2. the work produced by a carpenter; woodwork

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of carpentry

1350–1400; Middle English carpentrie < Old North French < Latin carpentāria ( fabrica ) carriage-maker's (workshop). See carpenter, -y 3

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Vocabulary lists containing carpentry

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.

See Examples For:

The 81-year-old and Vela Gonzalez have been together for more than 30 years, since she first hired him to do some carpentry in her home.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2026

You had to worry about budgets, deal with lawyers, manage crews, rent the studio, budget the carpentry hours, handle costumes.

From Salon ● Jul. 5, 2026

He and Kirsty could still find things to laugh about - Jim thought he could do carpentry, but mostly just "did a great line in sawdust".

From BBC ● Apr. 28, 2026

There was a special focus on recreation for neighborhood boys who, thought Simkhovitch, preferred doing things to being talked at: Greenwich House sponsored a science club and carpentry classes.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 24, 2026

Henceforth, Burnham ordered, all carpentry work was to be done only by men employed by the fair’s contractors.

From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson

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