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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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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.

The play has the old-fashioned carpentry of a solid one-act or mid-century short story.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 17, 2026

Both of his grandfathers were small-business owners, and he spent his summers working for them as a landscaper and helping out with carpentry work.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 18, 2026

He does not earn enough from the sport to quit his carpentry business.

From BBC • Feb. 20, 2026

“So I’ve done that, I’ve tried to be useful in growing food and I’ve also taken up carpentry as well.”

From MarketWatch • Nov. 20, 2025

He had his own set of carpentry tools and a distinctly German design sensibility.

From "The God of Small Things" by Arundhati Roy

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