Pl. workmen. Forms: see WORK sb. and MAN sb.1; also 4 werman, Sc. warman. [OE. weorcmann = Du. werkman, OHG. werahman (MHG. werch-, wercman), ON. verkmaðr.]
1. A man engaged to do work or (usually) manual labor, esp. one employed upon some particular piece of work: an operative; often (contextually) a skilled worker; † occas. a worker (in a medium).
c. 888. Ælfred, Boeth., xvii. He sceal habban ʓebedmen & fyrdmen & weorcmen.
c. 950. Lindisf. Gosp., Matt. ix. 37. Operarii, wercmenn.
c. 1205. Lay., 22892. A crafti weorc-man.
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 404. Iðen euentid, hwon me ȝelt werc-men hore deies hure.
13[?]. Sir Beues (A.), 3230. A morwe þe barouns gonne arise Sum to honten and sum to cherche, And werk men gonne for to werche.
1362. Langl., P. Pl., A. II. 91. Dignus est operarius mercede sua; Worþi is þe Werkmon his hure to haue.
c. 1375. Sc. Leg. Saints, xxii. (Laurentius), 594. It mycht nocht suffice … at a met bred to be,… to warmen thre.
c. 1450. Mirk’s Festial, 39. He had so mony werkemen of dyuerse craftys, þat a man schuld not here his felow speke for dount of strokes.
1474. Caxton, Chesse, II. i. (1883), 22. A werkman in metall.
1562. J. Heywood, Prov. & Epigr., II. ix. (1867), 77. What is a woorkman, without his tooles?
1651. Hobbes, Leviath., III. xlii. 306. A man is obliged in conscience to set on work upon all occasions the best workman.
a. 1700. Evelyn, Diary, 21 May 1645. This place has also been famous for lutes made by the old masters…; the workmen were chiefly Germans.
1725. Watts, Logic, I. vi. § 8. If I would learn the Nature of a Watch, the Workman takes it to pieces.
1842. Gwilt, Archit., Gloss. s.v. Beds of a Stone, In arching the beds are called summerings by the workmen.
1883. W. D. Curzon, Manuf. Industries Worcs., 48. There were under the hands of the workmen … some of the cylinders for the bridge across the Dubbo river.
b. Connoting a class or grade, or in correlation with ‘employer,’ ‘capitalist,’ or the like.
1704. De Foe, Giving Alms no Charity (1859), 38. The price of wages not only determines the difference between the employer and the work-man, but it rules the rates of every market. Ibid. (1727), Eng. Tradesman, I. Introd. 2. There are several degrees of people employ’d in trade below these, such as workmen, labourers, and servants.
1868. Roney, Rambles on Railways, 62. These companies issue what are called ‘workman’s tickets.’
1872. Ruskin, Fors Clav., II. Index 27. By workmen I mean people who must use their heads as well as their hands for what they do; by labourers, those who use their hands only.
1875. Act 38 & 39 Vict., c. 90 § 10. The expression ‘workman’ does not include a domestic or menial servant, but save as aforesaid, means any person who, being a labourer, servant in husbandry, journeyman, artificer, handicraftsman, miner, or otherwise engaged in manual labour,… has entered into or works under a contract with an employer.
1906. Economist, 15 Dec., 2048/2. At the present time … there is a widespread tendency to consider that no one is a workman unless he be engaged in manual labour.
1908. Daily Chron., 12 Sept., 5/4. It was declared that the term ‘workman’ should include clerks.
c. Of ants or bees: = WORKER 2 d (c). rare.
1870. Duncan, Blanchard’s Transf. Insects, 349. Besides the neuters, workmen, and soldiers, two sorts of nymphs.
2. A skilled or expert craftsman. Obs. exc. in Glassmaking, the first man of a ‘chair.’
1478. Acta Dom. Conc. (1839), 4/2. Þe lordis … causit þe chenȝe to be weyt and prisit be werkmen, quhilkis prisit it to v li Scottis.
1496. Cov. Leet Bk., 574. There shall no persone of þe Craft set no straunge Journeyman on warke without license of þe Maisters of þe Craft, and they to see that he be a warkman.
1530. Palsgr., 472/2. This kote was never made of a workeman, it is but boungled up.
1553. Ascham, Rep. Germany, A iij b. Here is stuffe plenty to furnish well vp a trimme history if a workeman had it in handlyng.
1597. Morley, Introd. Mus., 88. By working we become workemen.
1657. Worthington, Diary, etc. (Chetham Soc.), I. 100. He was not satisfy’d in William Pope, because he was not a workman of his trade.
1706. E. Ward, Wooden World Diss. (1708), 71. From whence one may reasonably infer, that he’s himself no Work-man.
1721. Perry, Daggenh. Breach, 68. I had answer’d them like an Artist, and like a Workman.
1849. [see SERVITOR 5].
b. transf.; e.g., applied to a rider, esp. in hunting, who manages his horse well or is conversant with the technique of the field; also to a horse that takes its fences well, etc.
1832. Q. Rev., XLVII. 238. The Squire having hit off his fox like a workman.
1840. J. C. Whyte, Hist. Turf, II. 577. Although so splendid a rider over a race-course, Old Chifney by no means shone as a workman across a country.
1868. Whyte-Melville, White Rose, I. xiv. 177. ‘I’m blessed if the young ’un isn’t a workman!’ he mutters, while he marks Gerard’s easy seat.
1887. F. Gale, Game Cr., 63. [Our opponents] were all ‘workmen,’… and a tough job, clearly, was cut out.
1891. ‘R. Boldrewood,’ Sydney-side Sax., xii. A fine, solid, but active-looking horse,… looking more of a workman over timber than the other.
† 3. The Creator; = WORKER 1 a. Obs.
1551. T. Wilson, Logike, P j b. The greate workeman of thynges god almightie himselfe.
1560. B. Googe, trans. Palingenius’ Zodiac, III. (1561), G j. That workman first, that made ye skies the earth, and seas also.
1587. Golding, De Mornay, vi. (1592), 64. This Speech [= Logos] being the workeman of God the Lord of the whole World.
1616. T. Scot, Philomythie, D 7 b. Darknes was not created; tis as old As that great workman which the whole doth mold.
4. One who works or practises his craft or art (in some specified manner).
1484. Caxton, Fables of Alfonce, xiii. As good a workman of his craft as ony was at that tyme in alle the world.
1620. I. C., Two Merry Milk-maids, IV. i. L 4 b. And thou beest so good a workeman, thou shalt draw my Picture.
a. 1633. G. Herbert, Outl. Prov., 67. Never had ill workeman good tooles.
1668. Evelyn, trans. Freart’s Idea Perfect. Paint., Advt. to Rdr. a 2. Albert Durer, a German Painter, and a most incomparable Workman.
1849. Parker, Gothic Archit., 88. It being one of the characteristics of a good workman not to waste his material.
1868. Darwin, in F. Darwin Life & Lett. (1887), III. 98. My health makes me a very slow workman.
5. attrib.
1549. Compl. Scot., vii. 69. Mony politic verkmanlumis for mecanyc craftis.
1803. Heber, Palestine, 199. No workman steel, no ponderous axes rung.
1908. Westm. Gaz., 7 Feb., 5/2. The workmen-shareholders.
