welder
Americannoun
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welders
plural
-
a person who unites or fuses pieces of metal by hammering, compressing, or the like, usually after softening them by heat.
Our machinists and welders take your metal project from 3D image to the real thing.
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a tool or machine used to unite or fuse pieces of metal.
The portable spot welder is connected by a long cable so you can take it to wherever it’s needed.
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a person or thing that unites other people or things harmoniously.
She’s a great welder of ideas, writing in a way that revives the best from the past and applies it to today’s issues.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of welder
First recorded in 1805–15; weld 1 ( def. ) + -er 1 ( def. )
Explanation
Someone or something whose job involves fusing two pieces of metal together is a welder. If you dream of wielding a blowtorch as you help build a ship, car, or skyscraper, you might enjoy being a welder. A welder's work or hobby is welding — joining one piece of metal to another using heat or pressure, or both. Most welders use a blowtorch that sends showers of sparks into the air as it reaches temperatures of 4,000 degrees or higher. Welders dress in protective gear, including heat-resistant helmets with a darkened lens, safety glasses or goggles, and flame-resistant clothing. A welder is also what we call a machine that is used for welding. The word welder is from weld, which was altered from well, "to boil or rise."
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.
See Examples For:
"I remember my papaw... coming to this very place to work for nearly 40 years as a welder," Vance said.
From Barron's ● Aug. 21, 2026
"A welder in India could be managing a welder-robot in Prague," he said.
From Barron's ● Jun. 11, 2026
In Pittsburgh: Jennifer Beals plays a steel-mill welder by day and dancer at night in the movie “Flashdance.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 16, 2026
He is an underwater photographer who became a welder after the fire, driven by a need to learn smart, flame-resistant construction.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 17, 2025
Dad phoned the people who had made my legs and they said it could be repaired by anyone who had a spot welder.
From "Ugly" by Robert Hoge
The chancellor was perhaps mindful of the army of manufacturing robots, laser welders, 3D metal printers, whirring into action around him.
From BBC ● Sep. 7, 2026
“Our welders finished ahead of schedule,” the department added.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 18, 2026
Traditional industrial robots such as welders, palletizers or loaders are “deterministic,” meaning they adhere to a fixed set of rules and produce a constant result.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 4, 2026
The construction and installation of offshore wind turbines requires the expertise of skilled electrical workers, pipe fitters, welders, pile drivers, iron workers, machinists and carpenters.
From Salon ● May 9, 2026
An incident later in B-block had called my bluff: I’d discovered a fire in the service area that ran down the center of the block; welders upstairs had unwittingly ignited a length of PVC pipe.
From "Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing" by Ted Conover
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