cobbler

American  

[kob-ler] / ˈkɒb lər /

noun

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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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

A BBC North West investigation found a catfish species, known as pangasius or river cobbler, being sold in the region's chippies without customers being fully aware of what they were buying.

From BBC • Apr. 30, 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

The rest of the meal, fully prepared and frozen, includes mashed potatoes, gravy, macaroni and cheese, sweet corn, green-bean casserole, stuffing, cranberry relish, dinner rolls, a pumpkin pie and an apple cobbler.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 15, 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

I paused in the center of the frozen road and watched the stubby old cobbler shuffle ahead of me.

From "Salt to the Sea" by Ruta Sepetys