riveter
Americannoun
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a person whose job it is to fasten things by means of rivets, or metal pins.
In building the hull of an iron ship, the work previously done by one man is now divided up among platers, riveters, drillers, and so forth.
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a machine or tool designed to fasten things by means of rivets.
I attached the rack with a pop riveter so that it can handle more weight than would be possible using the double-sided tape.
Etymology
Origin of riveter
Explanation
A person who installs industrial-strength metal fasteners on airplanes or ships is a riveter. Riveters use special tools to connect metal sheets with rivets, permanent bolt-like fasteners. Riveters helped build many iconic structures, including the Eiffel Tower and the Empire State Building's steel frame. Today, it's more common to weld metal pieces together in skyscrapers and bridges, but riveters still work on airplanes, ships, and more. The character called Rosie the Riveter was the symbol for millions of women who went to work during World War II.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
She learned long ago, holding a riveter in her hand, that limits don’t always apply and anyone can forge a path forward.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 3, 2023
He worked as a riveter for Boeing to help pay his way through UW School of Law, where he graduated in 1958.
From Seattle Times ● Aug. 24, 2018
The “Rosie” behind that song is well known: Rosalind P. Walter, a Long Island woman who was a riveter on Corsair fighter planes and is now a philanthropist, most notably a benefactor of public television.
From New York Times ● Jan. 22, 2018
Before the war, after completing eighth grade, he’d worked as a helper for steel-construction riveter and then for the Civilian Conservation Corps.
From Washington Times ● Jun. 14, 2017
She was a welder, schoolteacher, riveter, farm worker, toxicologist’s assistant, and stenographer, all throughout the early and mid-1940s.
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
