welder
Americannoun
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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.
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.
“I confess that I felt a sense of relief when I saw the photo of Maduro in the hands of los gringos,” said Arape, 59, a welder and father of three.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 4, 2026
Later, when sent to a chemical plant, he volunteered to work as a welder and bluffed his way through a quiz designed to test his qualifications.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 2, 2026
Festival-goers can compete for the title of best welder, crane operator or backhoe loader -- or be crowned the "Oildorado Queen."
From Barron's • Oct. 20, 2025
Ross, 43, is a welder by trade, and came up in the male-dominated profession when it was not unusual for her to be the only woman on a job site.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 1, 2025
He took a job as a welder at the Lockheed Air Corporation and mourned his lost Olympics.
From "Unbroken" by Laura Hillenbrand
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.
