craft

American  

[kraft, krahft] / kræft, krɑft /

noun

plural

crafts, craft

1. an art, trade, or occupation requiring special skill, especially manual skill.

   the craft of a mason.

2. skill; dexterity.

   The silversmith worked with great craft.

   Synonyms:

   ability, talent

3. skill or ability used for bad purposes; cunning; deceit; guile.

   Synonyms:

   deception, deceitfulness, shrewdness, craftiness

4. the members of a trade or profession collectively; a guild.

5. a ship or other vessel.

6. a number of ships or other vessels taken as a whole.

   The craft were warned of possible heavy squalls.

7. aircraft collectively.

8. a single aircraft.

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adjective

1. noting or relating to a food or other product made with special skill, especially manual skill.

   craft beer; craft coffee; a line of craft furniture.

verb (used with object)

1. to make or manufacture (an object or product) with skill and careful attention to detail.

craft British  

/ krɑːft /

noun

1. skill or ability, esp in handiwork

2. skill in deception and trickery; guile; cunning

3. an occupation or trade requiring special skill, esp manual dexterity

4. 1. the members of such a trade, regarded collectively

   2. ( as modifier )

      a craft guild

5. a single vessel, aircraft, or spacecraft

6. (functioning as plural) ships, boats, aircraft, or spacecraft collectively

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verb

1. (tr) to make or fashion with skill, esp by hand

Related Words

See cunning.

Other Word Forms

• craftless adjective

Etymology

Origin of craft

First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English cræft “strength, skill”; cognate with German Kraft, Dutch kracht, Old Norse kraptr

Example Sentences

“Sinners” is ambitious, perfectly crafted pop moviemaking that got pulses racing in the theater while burrowing earwormy ideas about music and liberation into your head.

From Los Angeles Times

Casting directors became an official branch of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in 2013, relatively late for a craft that has shaped movies since the early days of Hollywood.

From Los Angeles Times

In its own adversarial testing, Anthropic was able stop 98.6% of attempts from the best prompt injection attack it could craft.

From Barron's

In its own adversarial testing, Anthropic was able stop 98.6% of attempts from the best prompt injection attack it could craft.

From Barron's

Crane Stationery’s shortage of master engravers has not been caused by automation, but by the difficulty of enticing humans to learn such a high-precision craft.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• aircraft
• airplane
• barge
• boat
• plane
• ship
• spacecraft
• vessel