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

Trainer is a former farrier and while this is no shoe-in, could well show many rivals a clean pair of heels.

From BBC • Apr. 13, 2023

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

Along with veterinary and farrier fees, there’s also monthly insurance payments on the properties to deal with, as well as payroll for workers.

From Washington Times • Apr. 26, 2020

Just two weeks later, on February 8, Bunderson asked the judge to rule that he would advise the jury to question the reliability of the farrier.

From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel