cobbler

American  

[kob-ler] / ˈkɒb lər /

noun

• cobblers
  plural

1. a person who mends shoes.

2. a deep-dish fruit pie with a rich biscuit crust, usually only on top.

3. an iced drink made of wine or liquor, fruits, sugar, etc.

4. a fabric rejected because of defective dyeing or finishing.

5. Rare. mummichog.

6. Archaic. a clumsy workman.

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cobbler ¹ British  

/ ˈkɒblə /

noun

1. a sweetened iced drink, usually made from fruit and wine or liqueur

2. a hot dessert made of fruit covered with a rich cakelike crust

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cobbler ² British  

/ ˈkɒblə /

noun

1. a person who makes or mends shoes

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cobbler Idioms  

1. see stick to one's last.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• cobblers
  plural

Etymology

Origin of cobbler

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English cobelere, equivalent to cobel, of unknown origin, + -ere -er ¹ ( def. )

Explanation

A cobbler is someone who fixes shoes. A cobbler is also a type of fruit pie. Context is everything with this word! If you give a pie a broken shoe, don’t expect results. Cobblers mend shoes. If your heel is falling off or there’s a rip in your shoe, a cobbler can help you out. These days, people are more likely to buy a new pair of shoes than fix an old one, but cobblers used to be very common. A cobbler is also a delicious pie with rich biscuit dough on top and fruit underneath. Apple cobbler and peach cobbler are extra yummy with ice cream on top.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

cobbler cobblers

Whereas once every town had its own cobbler, suddenly a shoe factory in, say, Worcester, Mass., could make better—and much cheaper—shoes for the whole country.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 2, 2026

In “The Black Bonspiel of Willie MacCrimmon,” which was also adapted for television, a cobbler from a small town in rural Alberta strikes a deal with the devil to trade his soul for curling success.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 28, 2025

Francis came into the collection a few years after the 2008 death of Pasquale Di Fabrizio, an Italian cobbler known in Los Angeles as the "shoemaker to the stars."

From Barron's ● Oct. 26, 2025

The small box includes three flavors, all inspired by Salt Lick’s menu: honey pecan BBQ, smoked brisket and blackberry cobbler.

From Salon ● Apr. 18, 2025

A warm scoop of peach cobbler floats around in my stomach.

From "A Good Kind of Trouble" by Lisa Moore Ramée

The think-tank has examined how the technology could help or harm dozens of professions -- from cobblers to sewer cleaners, farmers to tea sellers.

From Barron's ● Jun. 11, 2026

What’s more, the apples his trees bore were not destined for cobblers and pies.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 26, 2026

From pies, crumbles and cobblers, strawberry-rhubarb is my pick for the season when temperatures are still cool enough to serve a warm dessert.

From Salon ● Mar. 29, 2024

It is full of colorful stories of speak-easy proprietors, snooty bigwigs, hapless rabbis, stone-cold gangsters and intimidating cobblers.

From Seattle Times ● Aug. 15, 2023

He set aside special days to honor individual states and nations and to fete distinct groups of workers, including cobblers, millers, confectioners, and stenographers.

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