shaper

American  

[shey-per] / ˈʃeɪ pər /

noun

1. a person or thing that shapes.

2. a machine tool for forming flat surfaces, consisting of a frame, usually horizontal, on which the work is held while a cutting tool moves along it with a reciprocating motion.

3. (in woodworking) a stationary power tool driving a vertical spindle to which cutters are locked, used in joinery and for forming decorative edges.

---

Etymology

Origin of shaper

Middle English word dating back to 1250–1300; see origin at shape, -er ¹

Example Sentences

Noguchi was both an object maker and an early environmental artist, a shaper of spaces.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 8, 2026

The report identifies “oscillating inflation” as a key shaper of 2026 trends, its different components contributing to this “bifurcation” in consumer fortunes where the wealthier and their spending are immune to its pressure.

From MarketWatch • Dec. 10, 2025

“His stories are universal,” says Del Toro, himself a shaper of dark fables that have connected with audiences globally.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 12, 2023

Urgent and personal, “Complicities” solidifies D’Erasmo’s reputation not just as a skilled shaper of disparate fictional worlds and beings, but as a fierce investigator of how it may feel to live inside them.

From Washington Post • Sep. 24, 2022

These latter were things that solitary gill-netters could appreciate and offset their distrust of a word shaper who sat behind a typewriter all day.

From "Snow Falling on Cedars: A Novel" by David Guterson