Forms: 1–3 cræft, (1 creaft, 3 creæft), 1–4 creft, 3 (Ormin) crafft, 4–6 crafte, 5–6 Sc. crafft, 6 Sc. craifft, 3– craft. [Com. Teutonic: OE. cræft masc. = OFris. creft (mod.Fris. craft, cräft); OS. craft m. f. (MDu. cracht f., Du. and LG. kracht), OHG. chraft f., MHG. and G. kraft, ON. kraptr (Norw., Sw., Da. kraft). The ulterior etymology is uncertain, though connection with mod. Icel. kræfr adj. ‘strong,’ is possible; relationship to CRAVE v., OE. crafían, has also been suggested, through intervention of the sense ‘compel, force.’ The original meaning preserved in the other langs. is ‘strength, force, power, virtue.’ The transference to ‘skill, art, skilled occupation,’ appears to be exclusively English; with the nautical applications in branch V cf. analogous uses of G. kunst.]
I. Originally.
† 1. Strength, power, might, force. Obs.
c. 893. K. Ælfred, Oros., I. xii. 52. On þæm ʓefeohte Meða cræft & heora duguð ʓefeoll.
a. 1000. Sal. & Sat., 394 (Gr.). Nydaþ cræfte tid.
a. 1100. Gerefa, in Anglia, IX. 260. Mid hlafordes creafte and mid folcrihte.
c. 1250. Gen. & Ex., 3900. Ðurȝ godes bode and godes craf[t].
1387. Trevisa, Higden (Rolls), I. 357. Who þat deleþ wiþ hem nedeþ more to be war more of gile þan of craft.
c. 1400. Maundev. (1839), xxx. 305. Though he cryede with all the craft that he cowde in the hyeste voys that he myghte.
1474. Caxton, Chesse, II. v. Thou hast vaynquisshed them … by subtilnes … But I that am a romayn shal vaynquisshe them by craft and strength of armes.
1526. Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W., 1531), 37 b. By the crafte of nature.
II. Intellectual power; skill; art.
In these and the following senses, art and craft were formerly synonymous and had a nearly parallel sense-development, though they diverge in their leading modern senses: cf. ART.
2. Skill, skilfulness, art; ability in planning or performing, ingenuity in constructing, dexterity; = ART 2. archaic (or contextual).
c. 888. K. Ælfred, Boeth., xxxiii. § 4. Wundorlice cræfte þu hit hæfst ʓesceapen.
a. 1175. Cott. Hom., 235. And don us mid his mihte þat stef creft ne mihte.
c. 1200. Ormin, 18809. Þatt iss þatt crafft tatt tæcheþþ þe Off tre to wirrkenn arrke.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 21197 (Cott.). Lucas was … leche o craft, al lerd o gru.
c. 1381. Chaucer, Parl. Foules, 1. The lyf so short, the craft so longe to lerne.
1387. Trevisa, Higden (Rolls), I. 341. By hap oþer by craft [L. casu vel industria].
1513. Douglas, Æneis, I. Prol. 56. Nane is, nor was … ne ȝit sal have sic crafte in poetrie.
1699. Dampier, Voy., II. II. 37. I told them that the Craft was in Catching it.
1703. Moxon, Mech. Exerc., 69. It is counted … good Workmanship in a Joyner, to have the Craft of bearing his Hand so curiously even, the whole length of a long Board.
1846. Grote, Greece, I. i. (1862), I. 4. Equally distinguished for strength and for manual craft.
† b. spec. Occult art, magic. Obs.
c. 1220. Bestiary, 542, in O. E. Misc., 17. So wicches hauen in here craft.
c. 1340. Richard Rolle of Hampole, Prick of Conscience, 4212. Alle þat of þe devels crafte can, Als negremanciens and tregettours, Wiches and false enchauntours.
c. 1440. Gesta Rom., 1 (Harl. MS.). That knyȝt shall dye by my crafte, yn what cuntre … so euer þat he be ynne.
1483. Caxton, Gold. Leg., 68/1. Saul … cam to the woman by nyght and made her by her crafte to reyse Samuel.
† c. Human skill, art as opposed to nature; ART 2. Obs.
1398. Trevisa, Barth. De P. R., IV. vii. (1495), 90. But it be take out by crafte or by kinde.
1562. Turner, Baths, 15 a. Ether by nature or by crafte.
1577–87. Holinshed, Chron., III. 803/1. And in the same parke curious trees made by craft.
† 3. A skilful contrivance, a device, artifice or expedient. b. A magical device; a spell or enchantment. Obs.
c. 1205. Lay., 272. Witen he wolde þurh þa wiþer-craftes [c. 1275 wise craftes] wat þing hit were.
a. 1225. Leg. Kath., 854. Esculapies creftes ant Galienes grapes.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 19538 (Cott.). Þat he moght of his craftes [Philip’s miracles] lere.
1340. Ayenb., 45. Þe neȝende boȝ of auarice is ine kueade creftes.
1393. Gower, Conf., II. 36. This Dedalus, which … many craftes couthe Of fethers and of other thinges.
c. 1440. Generydes, 4233. For your entente I shall a craft devise … That ye shall haue your purpose euery dele.
1509. Hawes, Past. Pleas., xxix. (Percy Soc.), 140. I have me bethought A praty craft by me shalbe wrought.
a. 1533. Ld. Berners, Gold. Bk. M. Aurel. (1546), M ij. A sothsayer, that was had in great reputacion for her craftes.
† c. concr. A work or product of art. Obs.
a. 1000. Hexam. St. Basil (Bosworth). Unbegunnen Scyppend, se ðe ʓemacode swylcne cræft.
c. 1325. E. E. Allit. P., C. 131. He calde on þat ilk crafte he carf with his hondes.
1583. Stanyhurst, Æneis, VIII. (Arb.), 137. Three watrye clowds shymring toe the craft they rampyred hizing.
4. In a bad sense: Skill or art applied to deceive or overreach; deceit, guile, fraud, cunning. (The chief modern sense; cf. ART 13: in craft, the bad sense is more explicit.)
In early use only contextually separable from sense 2.
c. 1205. Lay., 27007. Euander king hine aqualde mid luðere his crafte.
1340. Ayenb., 157. Uor ous to gily be hare crefte an by hire ginnes.
c. 1449. Pecock, Repr., II. xiii. 228. No gouernaunce in craft or out of craft is but that of it cometh yuel.
1530. Palsgr., 210/1. Crafte, subtylte, astuce.
1568. Grafton, Chron., II. 390. His craft [is] so great, that I feare he shall circumvent us.
1611. Bible, Mark xiv. 1. The Scribes sought how they might take him by craft, and put him to death.
1651. Hobbes, Leviath., I. viii. 34. That Crooked Wisdome, which is called Craft.
1759. Franklin, Ess., Wks. 1840, III. 120. If craft had anything to do with them, never was craft better hid.
1856. Emerson, Eng. Traits, Ability, Wks. (Bohn), II. 35. They hate craft and subtlety. They neither poison, nor waylay, nor assassinate.
† b. (with a and pl.) An application of deceit; a trick, fraud, artifice. Obs. (Cf. ART 14.)
971. Blickl. Hom., 19. Þæt he us ʓescylde wiþ þa þusendlican cræftas deofles costunga.
a. 1225. Leg. Kath., 257. Þe feont … bimong alle his crokinde creftes.
1362. Langl., P. Pl., A. XI. 21. Þat suche craftes cunnen to counseil beoþ i-clept.
1526. Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W., 1531), 308. All the subtyl craftes and sore temptacyons of our spirituall aduersary.
1670. Milton, Hist. Eng., Wks. 1738, II. 98. An old craft of the Clergy to secure their Church-Lands.
1686. Burnet, Trav., ii. (1730), 103. That being one of the Crafts of the Italian Priests.
III. † 5. The learning of the schools, scholarship. b. (with a and pl.) A branch of learning or knowledge, a science. The seven crafts: the ‘seven arts’ of the mediæval Universities: see ART 7. Obs.
c. 1205. Lay., 10923. On bocken heo cuðe godne cræft. Ibid., 30493. An clarc þe com from Spaine … feole craftes he cuðe.
a. 1225. Leg. Kath., 522. Fifti scolmeistres, of alle þe creftes þet clerc ah to cunnen.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 4647 (Cott.). Þe seuen craftes all he can.
a. 1400–50. Alexander, 33. Þe pasage of þe planettis, þe poyntes & þe sygnes, Þai ware þe kiddest of þat craft knawyn in þaire tyme.
1483. Cath. Angl., 79. A Crafte, ars liberalis, sciencia [etc.].
1530. Palsgr., 210/1. Crafte of multyplyeing, alquenemie.
IV. A branch of skilled work.
6. An art, trade or profession requiring special skill and knowledge; esp. a manual art, a HANDICRAFT; sometimes applied to any business, calling or profession by which a livelihood is earned.
c. 897. K. Ælfred, Gregory’s Past., i. 24. Se cræft þæs lareowdomes bið cræft ealra cræfta.
c. 900. Bæda’s Hist., IV. xiii. Seo þeod ðone cræft ne cuðe ðæs fiscnoþes.
c. 1040. Rule St. Benet, 94. For ingehide his cræftes.
1340. Ayenb., 178. Wone makeþ maister, ase hit sseweþ ine þise oþre creftes.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Miller’s T., 3. Of his craft he was a carpenter.
1463. Bury Wills (Camden), 34. Prentys to a craft.
1480. Caxton, Chron. Eng., cclvii. 336. Aboute this tyme the craft of enpryntynge was fyrst founde in Magunce in Almayne.
1532. Hervet, Xenophon’s Househ. (1768), 14. Suche craftes, as be called handy craftes, they be very abiecte and vile, and lyttel regarded and estemed.
1611. Bible, Acts xviii. 3. And because hee was of the same craft, he abode with them.
1758. Johnson, Idler, No. 31, ¶ 12. He has attempted at other times the crafts of the shoemaker, tinman, plumber, and potter.
1868. Freeman, Norm. Conq. (1876), II. vii. 120. A man famous for his skill in the goldsmith’s craft.
1882. A. W. Ward, Dickens, iii. 67. Political journalism proper is a craft of which very few men … become masters by intuition.
b. spec. The occupation of a hunter or sportsman, as in the craft of the woods = WOODCRAFT.
Gentle craft: now often applied to Angling; formerly, a denomination of Shoe-making: see GENTLE.
1486. Bk. St. Albans, E vj b. Yowre craftis let be kydde: And do as I yow bydde.
1530. Palsgr., 210/1. Crafte of huntyng, uenerie.
1843. Proc. Berw. Nat. Club, II. 74. A spot … known to lovers of the ‘gentle craft’ as Sprouston Dub.
1871. Freeman, Norm. Conq. (1876), IV. xviii. 250. Fond as William was of the craft of the woods.
c. fig. (Cf. business.)
c. 1374. Chaucer, Anel. & Arc., 88. But he was double in loue … And subtil in that crafte ouer any wight.
c. 1450. trans. T. à Kempis’ Imit., II. viii. 48. It is a crafte, a man to be conuersant wiþ ihesu.
1490. Caxton (title), The Arte and Crafte to know well to Dye.
1526. Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W., 1531), 142. We were but as seruauntes bounde to lerne ye crafte of ye exercyse of vertues.
1821. Byron, Mar. Fal., IV. i. To … slay i’ the dark too—Fie, Bertram! that was not a craft for thee!
1861. Tulloch, Eng. Purit., I. 40. Their theology was a craft at which they were marvellous adepts.
7. concr. A trade or profession as embodied in its practitioners collectively; the members of a trade or handicraft as a body; an association of these; a trade’s union, guild or ‘company.’
1362. Langl., P. Pl., A. Prol. 101. Taillours, tanneris & tokkeris boþe, Masons, minours and mony oþer craftes.
1386. Petit. London Mercers, in Rolls of Parl., III. 225. Of us togydre of the Mercerye, or other craftes.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Cook’s T., 2. Of a craft of vitaillers was he.
1483. in Eng. Gilds, 314. That the said crafte and Mistere [of Bakers] shall … hold and kepe ther ffest of theyre solempnite of theyre Brotherhede.
1556. Chron. Gr. Friars (1852), 43. The mayer, aldermen, & xij. craffttes … theys rode, & all the rest of the crafftes went in their barges … to Westmyster.
1607. Shaks., Cor., IV. vi. 118. You haue made faire hands, You and your Crafts.
1833. Alison, Hist. Europe, I. ii. § 66. They … proposed to abolish all incorporations, crafts, faculties, apprenticeships, and restrictions of every kind.
b. spec. The craft: the brotherhood of Freemasons.
c. 1430. Freemasonry, 48. But mason schulde never won other calle, Withynne the craft amonghs hem alle, Ny soget, ny seruand.
1891. Scot. Leader, 6 Nov., 4/1. It was agreed … that the craft at large should have an opportunity of presenting … a bust of the Grand Master.
c. Sc. = CRAFTSMAN: used of shoemakers.
1850. J. Struthers, Autobiog., Poet. Wks. I. 38. The remaining five were all regularly bred crafts. Ibid., 97. What among the brethren of the birse is called a ready craft.
† 8. Man of craft: one skilled in any craft or art; a. a CRAFTSMAN, a tradesman; b. one skilled in occult or magic art. Obs. (Now = crafty man.)
c. 1375. Lay Folks Mass Bk. (MS. B.), 371. Marchandes, men of craft, and tilmen.
1389. in Eng. Gilds, 23. Alle trewe tyliers and men of craft.
1432–50. trans. Higden (Rolls), I. 113. Men of crafte and commune peple dwellede in the thrydde … circuite of the walles.
1483. Cath. Angl., 80. A man of Crafte, artifex qui suam artem exercet.
1727. De Foe, Syst. Magic, I. iii. 62. Recommending themselves for men of craft, pretending to tell fortunes, calculate nativities [etc.]. Ibid., I. vii. 186. The Devil and those men of craft.
V. Applied to boats, ships, and fishing requisites.
[These uses were probably colloquial with watermen, fishers and seamen some time before they appeared in print, so that the history is not evidenced; but the expression is probably elliptical, sense 9 being = vessels of small craft, i.e., small trading vessels, or of small seaman’s art, and sense 10 = requisites of the fisherman’s craft. It is not impossible that the latter was the earlier: cf. quot. 1704 in 10. The want in English of any general collective term for all sorts of ‘vessels for water carriage’ naturally made craft a useful stop-gap.]
9. a. collect. (constr. as pl.) Vessels or boats.
(a.) orig. only in the expression small craft, small trading vessels, boats, lighters, etc.
1671–2. Sir C. Lyttelton, in Hatton Corr. (1878), 75. Only ketches and such small craft to attend the fleete and fire ships.
1699. Hacke, Robert’s Voy. Levant, 34. There is good lying for small Craft.
1703. Dampier, Voy., III. 53. A Place of great Trade … and abundance of small Craft, that only run to and fro on this Coast.
1796. Morse, Amer. Geog., I. 150. They employ 3000 sail of small craft in this fishery.
1884. Pall Mall Gaz., 21 Oct., 1/2. The want of efficiency of our navy [in] … what are known as small craft, that is to say, the classes of sloops, gun-vessels, and gunboats.
(b.) Hence, without small, in same sense; later, in the general sense of vessels of all kinds for water carriage and transport.
1769. Falconer, Dict. Marine (1784), Craft, a general name for all sorts of vessels employed to load or discharge merchant-ships, or to carry along-side, or return the stores of men of war: such are lighters, hoys, barges, prames, &c.
1793. Smeaton, Edystone L., § 103. A transport buoy of a size proportioned to our sort of craft and service.
1809. Wellington, in Gurw., Desp., IV. 270. We are much in want of craft here.
1868. Freeman, Norm. Conq. (1876), II. ix. 322. The light craft of those days.
1879. Cassell’s Techn. Educ., IV. 315/1. The salt is prepared … at Northwich, and … sent by craft to Liverpool for shipment.
1879. Daily News, 12 Aug., 5/3. To arm such craft heavily would be to interfere materially with their speed and navigation.
b. (with a and pl.) A small vessel or boat; any sailing or floating vessel.
1775. Falck, Day’s Diving Vess., 51. Four crafts are to be moored at equal distances.
1835. Marryat, Pirate, 73. The sea-breeze has caught our craft; let them … see that she does not foul her anchor.
1871. J. Miller, Songs Italy (1878), 35. These crafts they are narrow enough.
1885. Act 48–9 Vict., c. 76 § 29. The term ‘vessel’ shall include any … skiff, dingey, shallop, punt, canoe, raft, or other craft.
10. collect. Implements used in catching or killing fish; in mod. use chiefly in Whale-fishery: see quot. 1887.
1688. R. Holme, Armoury, III. 163/1. Craft is any kind of Nets or Lines to catch Fish with.
1694. Collect. Sev. Late Voy., I. (1711), 1. Set out … with provision of Craft to take Fish, and Fowls, a Seyne Net, and hooks and lines, and fisgigs, and harping Irons.
1699. Dampier, Voy., II. III. 55. It is a mighty strong Fish, so that the Fishing-Craft must be very strong to take them.
1704. J. Harris, Lex. Techn., Craft, is a Sea word signifying all manner of Lines, Nets, Hooks, &c. which serve for Fishing; and because those that use the Fishing Trade use Small Vessels … they call all such little Vessels Small Craft.
1887. Fisheries of U.S., v. II. 241. The harpoons, hand-lances, and boat-spades, are usually called ‘craft,’ and the other implements ‘gear.’
VI. 11. Comb. (in senses 6–7) craft-brother, one of the same craft or trade; craft-guild, a guild of workmen of the same craft or trade; craft-warden, the warden of a craft-guild.
1837. Carlyle, Fr. Rev., IV. iv. His slight-built comrade and craft-brother.
1870. L. Brentano, in Eng. Gilds, p. cxvi. The oldest German charter referring undoubtedly to a Craft-Gild is that of a Cologne Weavers’ Gild.
1887. Athenæum, 31 Dec., 889/3. The very plausible theory that the Scottish craft-guilds were modelled on those of the Hanseatic … towns.
1856. Froude, Hist. Eng., I. 50. The ‘craft-wardens’ of the various fellowships … were levying excessive fees on the admission of apprentices.
12. -craft is also the second element in many compounds, e.g., HANDICRAFT, KINGCRAFT, PRIESTCRAFT, STATECRAFT, WATER-CRAFT, WITCHCRAFT, etc., q.v.
