WordGarden.iosmith
A1Pronunciation
UK
- /smˈɪθ/
US
- /ˈsmɪθ/
Meanings
Proper-noun
a surname
Noun
a metalworker who makes or shapes metal items, especially by forging
Beyond the definition
A smith is traditionally a skilled person who works with metal, shaping it with heat and tools into useful or beautiful things. A blacksmith works with iron or steel, a goldsmith with gold, and a silversmith with silver.
The word can also stretch beyond metal. In a broader sense, it can describe someone who is very skilled at making or shaping something, especially when the work feels careful and craft-based. That is why people sometimes say "wordsmith" for a writer who handles language with skill and care.
The word "smith" first meant a skilled worker who shaped metal into tools, weapons, ornaments, or other everyday objects. It comes from Old English smiþ. For a long time, smiths were important in daily life because they made and repaired the things a community needed.
In its main use, a smith is still a metalworker, especially one who works by heating, hammering, and forming metal. Different kinds of smiths are named by the material or task: a blacksmith works mainly with iron or steel, a goldsmith with gold, and a silversmith with silver. The word often brings to mind a forge, sparks, and careful handwork.
The meaning has also widened a little. In modern English, "smith" can appear in words such as "wordsmith" to describe someone who shapes something with great skill, care, and control. Even in that wider sense, the idea stays the same: a smith is a maker, someone who turns raw material into something useful, strong, or beautiful.
Examples
- 1
Metalworker
The village smith repaired horseshoes and farm tools.
- 2
Craft training
She trained as a smith and now creates handmade knives and kitchen tools.
- 3
Traditional craft
The museum showed how a traditional smith shaped hot iron with a hammer.
See also
Similar
- metalworker
- metalsmith
Shades of meaning
Contrast
Do not confuse
- Smith surname
Used with (collocations)
- village smith
- master smith
- smith's forge
Word family
Explore
Forms and spellings
2 forms open this card.
Main spelling
- smithnoun
Forms
- smithspluralnoun