farrier

American  

[far-ee-er] / ˈfær i ər /

noun

Chiefly British.

1. a blacksmith.

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farrier British  

/ ˈfærɪə /

noun

1. a person who shoes horses

2. archaic another name for veterinary surgeon

3. military a noncommissioned officer who looks after horses

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Etymology

Origin of farrier

1375–1425; variant of ferrier < Middle French, Old French < Latin ferrārius “smith” (equivalent to ferr(um) “iron” + -ārius -ary ); replacing late Middle English fer(r)our < Anglo-French, Old French ferreor < Latin ferrātor (unattested)

Explanation

A farrier is a person whose job involves taking care of horses' hooves and shoeing them if they need protection. Being a farrier was far more common hundreds of years ago, when horses were a major form of transportation. If you love working with horses, you might consider being a farrier. The job involves a lot of knowledge of and care for the animals' feet, with additional skills in working with metal, bending and shaping it to fit a horse's hoof. In fact, the term farrier demonstrates how closely related the profession is to blacksmithing, or making things from metal: farrier comes from the Latin root ferrum, or "iron."

Example Sentences

His father was a farrier, his grandfather ran a company making wire machinery and his ancestors were nail makers.

From BBC • Dec. 6, 2025

She worked as a custodian at Darrington High School and as a farrier on the side.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 17, 2024

Mr. Foreman taught on a Zuni reservation in New Mexico and worked as a farrier, or horseshoer, before joining the Wilderness Society as its Southwest regional representative.

From New York Times • Sep. 28, 2022

By the mid-1960s, he was working as a farrier shoeing horses for TV westerns, and he eventually was recruited for stunts.

From Washington Post • Aug. 2, 2020

“I called a farrier to see if he would trim War Chief’s hooves.”

From "Dead End in Norvelt" by Jack Gantos