Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com

shopcraft

American  
[shop-kraft, -krahft] / ˈʃɒpˌkræft, -ˌkrɑft /

noun

  1. any of various skilled trades involving maintenance or repair work, as metalworking or boilermaking, especially in the railroad industry.

  2. the members of any such trade.


Etymology

Origin of shopcraft

First recorded in 1685–95; shop + craft

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.

Meanwhile, the possibility of a crippling strike by six railroad shopcraft unions flickered anew, though on Capitol Hill, there were hopeful plans to draft legislation to handle the dispute.

From Time Magazine Archive

Though a strike that would snarl the nation's rail system is possible, the indications are that the signalmen will await the outcome of contract talks involving the larger shopcraft unions before pressing their demands.

From Time Magazine Archive

To prevent 137,000 workers in six shopcraft unions from tying up 138 railroads by taking a walk, Johnson had to request special legislation from Congress extending the strike deadline by 20 days.

From Time Magazine Archive

About the only hopeful development last week was an apparent end to the impasse between the railroads and six shopcraft unions.

From Time Magazine Archive

This treason calls forth an indignant exclamation, "Oh priestcraft, shopcraft, how do ye effeminate The minds of men!"

From The History of England, from the Accession of James II — Volume 4 by Macaulay, Thomas Babington Macaulay, Baron