blacksmith

blacksmith — noun

1. someone who heats iron in a hot fire and then beats it into shape with a hammer

1.nounB2
Definition

someone who heats iron in a hot fire and then beats it into shape with a hammer to produce items such as horseshoes, gates, and tools.

Example

The village blacksmith heated an iron bar until it glowed bright orange.

subject + heated/shaped + iron + anvil

Marco trained as a blacksmith for seven years before opening his own forge.

train as a blacksmith / open a forge

Common collocations
  • village blacksmith
  • the local blacksmith
  • blacksmith's forge
  • blacksmith's hammer
  • blacksmith's anvil
Synonyms
  • smith

    broader term covering anyone who works metal; a blacksmith is one specific kind

  • farrier

    narrower; only fits horseshoes — a blacksmith may also do this but does much more

  • ironworker

    modern industrial term; usually refers to factory or construction work, not handcraft at a forge

Grammar Patterns

a/the blacksmith

work as a blacksmith

Usage Note

Subject is always a person, never a machine; the workplace is typically called a forge or smithy. Distinguish from 'farrier' (specialises only in shoeing horses) and 'silversmith / goldsmith' (works with precious metals).

Common Mistakes

My uncle is a blacksmith who makes silver rings.
My uncle is a silversmith who makes silver rings.
a blacksmith works with iron and steel, not precious metals.
The blacksmith fixed the broken pipe.
The plumber fixed the broken pipe.
blacksmiths shape iron objects by hand; they are not general repair workers.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words describe people who shape metal, but the scope and tools differ. 'Smith' is the broadest term — it covers anyone who hammers metal into useful objects, including silver, gold, copper, or iron. 'Blacksmith' narrows this to working specifically with iron or steel, traditionally heated in a coal forge until it glows red. A 'farrier' is even more specialised: their job is fitting and nailing shoes onto horses' hooves, and they may not forge other items at all. 'Ironworker' is the modern industrial equivalent — usually a factory or construction-site worker who cuts, welds, and fixes large steel beams rather than crafting small items by hand. Choose 'blacksmith' for the traditional craftsperson at a forge, 'farrier' for someone shoeing your horse, and 'ironworker' for the person bolting steel onto a skyscraper.

blacksmith ↗smith ↗farrierironworker

Common collocations

Nouns

  • blacksmith's forge
  • blacksmith's hammer
  • blacksmith's anvil
  • blacksmith's apron
  • village blacksmith

Phrases

  • the local blacksmith
  • a master blacksmith
  • the blacksmith's shop

Prepositions

  • work as a blacksmith
  • apprenticed to a blacksmith
  • trained under a blacksmith

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

Formed in Middle English by joining 'black' and 'smith'. 'Smith' is an old English word for a metal worker, going back well over a thousand years. The 'black' part points to the dark colour of iron and to the soot and dark scale that cover the metal as it is heated and hammered, which set this trade apart from a 'whitesmith' who worked tin or finished pale metals.