Forms: 4–6 craftes, craftis man, (4 craftus, craftise man, 5 craftiesman), 5–6 craftis-, craftys-, craftesman, 6–7 craftes-, crafts-man, 6– craftsman. [Orig. two words in syntactical relation: cf. tradesman.]
1. A man who practises a handicraft; an artificer, artisan.
1362. Langl., P. Pl., A. III. 218. Alle kunne craftes men. Ibid., VII. 63. Alle kunnes craftus men.
1382. Wyclif, 1 Chron. xxii. 15. Many craftise men, masouns and leyers, and craftisemen of trees, and of alle craftis.
1467. in Eng. Gilds (1870), 388. Eny craftiesman, artificer or other.
1549. Compl. Scot., xvii. 150. Ane pure mecanyk craftis man.
1630. R. Johnson’s Kingd. & Commw., 133. The Merchant liveth obscurely, the Tradesman penuriously, and the Craftsman in drudgerie.
1742. Col. Rec. Pennsylv., IV. 544. The Craftsmen have proclaimed aloud that their privileges were in Danger.
1841. Myers, Cath. Th., III. § 43. The commonest fisherman or craftsman who was a hearer of the Apostles.
2. transf. and fig. † a. Maker, artificer, inventor, contriver. Obs.
1382. Wyclif, Wisd. xiii. 1. Thei … ne … knewen who was craftis man.
1494. Fabyan, Chron., VII. 299. The kynge sayd … in game, ‘I am a wonder craftesman, for I haue made a newe erle of an olde bysshop.’
1561. T. Norton, Calvin’s Inst., IV. 122. Such a presence of Christ in the Sacrament, as the craftesmen of the Court of Rome haue fayned.
b. = ARTIST 7.
1876. Morris, Sigurd, III. 224. A picture deftly painted by the craftsmen over the sea.
1877. Dowden, Shaks. Prim., v. 58. Shakspere was learning his trade as a dramatic craftsman.
3. Comb., as craftsmanlike adj.
1881. G. Saintsbury, in Academy, 11 June, 433. Craftsmanlike skill.
