artisan
noun

- a person who does skilled work with his or her hands

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary

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WORD ORIGIN

An artisan is a skilled worker who practices some type of trade or handicraft. Prior to the industrial age, artisans were the core of all functioning societies because they made all of the foodstuffs and goods needed for daily living. Machines and automation have made some artisan trades nearly extinct.

However, in response to this trend there are movements in some parts of the world to support and encourage the use of artisans, whether it's the local farmer who makes his own cheese by hand or a small beer brewery.

In English, some names of artisan trades are self-explanatory, such as the shoemaker, clockmaker or glassblower. Others are not as evident when the name is read or heard:

- cooper = a craftsman who makes or repairs wooden barrels or tubs

- luthier - a craftsman who makes stringed musical instruments like violins and guitars

- currier = a craftsman who processes and treats leather

- mason = a craftsman who works with stone or brick

- taxidermist = a craftsman who stuffs and mounts the skins of animals for display

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SYNONYMS

craftsman (politically correct: craftsperson), handcrafter, skilled handworker, artificer, journeyman


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Practice OWAD in a  conversation:

"Industrialisation has put an end to many ARTISAN professions."