workmann.
/ˈwəːkmən/, U.S. /ˈwərkmən/ 1. † b. A member of a socio-economic class consisting of such workers, esp. as distinct from other classes. Cf. worker n. 3d. Obsolete.
a. A man employed to do (usually manual or industrial) work, esp. one who is assigned to a particular task, (now) often as part of a larger building or repair project. Formerly also (occasionally): †a worker in a particular substance or material (obsolete).Occasionally: a worker of either gender. Cf. workwoman n., workperson n.
ΘΚΠ
society > occupation and work > worker > workers according to type of work > manual or industrial worker > [noun] > manual worker
workmaneOE
handworker1480
manuary1581
hand labourer1583
manualist1592
operator1598
apron-mana1616
aproneer1659
apron-rogue1664
handler1763
blue-collar1951
eOE King Ælfred tr. Boethius De Consol. Philos. (Otho) (2009) I. ix. 421 He sceal habban gebed[m]en [and ferd]men and weorcmen.
OE (Northumbrian) Lindisf. Gospels: Matt. ix. 37 Messis quidem multa operarii autem pauci : hripes soðlice monigo wercmenn uel wyrcende menn uutedlice huon.
?c1225 (?a1200) Ancrene Riwle (Cleo. C.vi) (1972) 296 Iþe euentid hwenne me ȝeld werchmen hare deies hure.
c1275 (?a1200) Laȝamon Brut (Calig.) (1978) l. 11423 Þat wæs a crafti weorc-mon.
c1330 (?c1300) Bevis of Hampton (Auch.) l. 3230 (MED) A morwe þe barouns gonne arise, Sum to honten and sum to cherche, And werk men gonne for to werche.
c1390 (a1376) W. Langland Piers Plowman (Vernon) (1867) A. ii. l. 91 Dignus est operarius mercede sua; Worþi is þe Werkmon his hure to haue.
1474 W. Caxton tr. Game & Playe of Chesse (1883) ii. i. 22 A werkeman in metall.
c1480 (a1400) St. Lawrence 594 in W. M. Metcalfe Legends Saints Sc. Dial. (1896) I. 419 It mycht nocht suffice..at a met bred to be,..to warmen thre.
1546 J. Heywood Dialogue Prouerbes Eng. Tongue ii. ix. sig. Lv What is a workeman, without his tooles.
1581 T. Nicholas tr. A. de Zárate Discov. & Conquest Peru iv. sig. Aaiiv They began to prouide all sortes of necessary Victualles for the woorkemen.
1651 T. Hobbes Leviathan iii. xlii. 306 A man is obliged in conscience to set on work upon all occasions the best workman.
1725 I. Watts Logick i. vi. §8 If I would learn the Nature of a Watch, the Workman takes it to Pieces.
1758 W. Borlase Nat. Hist. Cornwall 25 The faintings which seize the workmen, are owing..to..the heat.
1810 Times 10 July Yesterday the workmen employed at the London Docks struck for an increase of wages.
1867 N.Y. Times 20 May 2/3 Eight or ten male and female workmen were making all sorts of combs.
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.
1919 J. J. Skehan & J. P. Conway Pract. Police Work xi. 210 You..arrive in time to see several workmen lying on the ground injured.
1978 Pop. Sci. Oct. 89/1 I had the persistent feeling that it must be tea-break time because I saw so few workmen.
2011 L. Wiehl & P. Nelson Waking Hours xxviii. 225 A workman on a stepladder was mounting a bracket to the molding.
ΘΚΠ
society > occupation and work > worker > [noun] > in relation to employer or capitalist
man1381
workman1704
worker1848
society > society and the community > social class > the common people > specific classes of common people > [noun] > working class > one of
working manOE
mechanical1600
mechanic1607
workman1704
proletarian1841
proletary1879
prole1887
slob1910
1704 D. Defoe Giving Alms no Charity 10 The price of Wages not only determines the Difference between the Employer and the Work-man, but it rules the Rates of every Market.
1725 D. Defoe Compl. Eng. Tradesman I. Introd. 3 There are several degrees of people employ'd in trade below these, such as workmen, labourers, and servants.
1868 C. P. Roney Rambles on Railways iii. 62 These companies issue what are called ‘workman's tickets’.
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.
2. † b. In extended use; esp. (Hunting) a skilful or experienced rider. Obsolete.
a. A skilled or expert craftsman. In later use only in Glass-making: the chief craftsman in a ‘chair’ or team (now historical).
ΘΚΠ
society > occupation and work > worker > workers according to type of work > manual or industrial worker > [noun] > manual worker > skilled worker or craftsman > expert
masterc1300
workmanc1300
master workmanc1475
master-worker1483
craftsmaster1548
craftmaster1557
arts-master1607
trades master1611
master hand1711
maistry1798
master craftsman1865
society > occupation and work > worker > workers according to type of work > manual or industrial worker > producer > glass-maker > [noun] > team > first man
workman1849
c1300 St. Swithun (Harl.) l. 54 in F. J. Furnivall Early Eng. Poems & Lives Saints (1862) 44 He let þe stronge brugge wiþoute þe est ȝate arere And fond þerto lym and ston to worcmen þat þer were.
1478 in Acts Lords of Council Civil Causes (1839) I. 4/2 Þe lordis..causit þe chenȝe to be weyt and prisit be werkmen, quhilkis prisit it to v li Scottis.
a1525 ( Coventry Leet Bk. (1908) II. 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 J. Palsgrave Lesclarcissement iii. f. clxxviiiv This kote was neuer made of a workeman, it is but boungled vp.
a1568 R. Ascham Rep. & Disc. Affaires Germany (?1570) sig. A.iijv Here is stuffe plenty to furnish well vp a trimme history if a workeman had it in handlyng.
1657 J. Worthington Diary 11 Dec. in Diary & Corr. (1847) I. 100 He was not satisfy'd in William Pope, because he was not a workman of his trade.
a1684 J. Evelyn Diary anno 1645 (1955) II. 426 This place has likewise ben famous for Lutes, made by the old Masters..most of them German Workmen.
1707 E. Ward Wooden World Dissected 71 From whence one may reasonably infer, that he's himself no Workman.
1721 J. Perry Acct. Stopping Daggenham Breach 68 I had answer'd them like an Artist, and like a Workman.
1849 A. Pellatt Curiosities of Glass Making 89 [A ‘chair’ consists of] first, a gaffer, or workman; the second, a servitor; and the third, a foot-maker; the latter usually earns about half the wages paid to the chief, and the servitor receives an intermediate amount.
1918 P. Marson Glass 83 The servitor has now done his part of the work, and the glass is handed to the workman.
1983 T. Matsumura Labour Aristocracy Revisited iii. 67 After six years as servitor he was promoted to workman in 1861 and received 25s.
ΘΚΠ
the world > food and drink > hunting > hunter > [noun] > hunter on horseback
workman1832
bruiser1833
roadster1858
craner1863
gap-hunter1872
thruster1886
funkstick1889
society > travel > transport > riding on horse (or other animal) > rider > [noun] > skilled rider
horseman1583
school rider1852
workman1868
1832 Q. Rev. 47 238 The Squire having hit off his fox like a workman.
1868 G. J. 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 of Cricket v. iii. 63 [Our opponents] were all ‘workmen’, as we could see, and a tough job, clearly, was cut out.
1908 A. O. Fisher Withyford xxii. 240 Sitting well back on her straight saddle, she looked every inch a ‘workman’.
3. Also with capital initial. God; the Creator. Cf. worker n. 1. Frequently with qualifying adjective, as great workman. Now somewhat archaic.
ΘΚΠ
the world > the supernatural > deity > Christian God > [noun] > creator
wrightc888
lightOE
sheppendOE
sheppera1175
wroughtc1275
creatorc1300
shaper1303
maker1340
workera1382
authora1413
workman1440
workmaster1531
artificer?1555
re-creator1587
architector1639
architect1659
enlivener1663
God almighty1787
1440 J. Capgrave Life St. Norbert (1977) l. 838 The grete werkman aboue he ded race Alle þis werk.
1560 B. Googe tr. ‘M. Palingenius’ Zodyake of Lyfe iii. sig. Gi That workman first, that made ye skies the earth, and seas also.
1587 Sir P. Sidney & A. Golding tr. P. de Mornay Trewnesse Christian Relig. vi. 72 This Speech [= Logos] being the workman of God the Lord of the whole World.
1616 T. Scot Philomythie sig. C2v Darknesse was not created, tis as old As that great workeman which the whole doth mould.
1700 D. Irish Levamen Infirmi 75 This glorious Universe..adorn'd with wonderful objects, Proclaming the Wisdom and Omnipotence of its great Workman or Creator.
1780 J. O'Keeffe Tony Lumpkin in Town ii. 37 Well, I know the points of a horse, and that's made by a better workman.
1874 Literary World 14 Aug. 100/2 In the midst of our miseries and fruitless conflicts, the Divine Workman who prepares our destinies goes on with His work.
1906 E. Philpotts Portreeve (1909) iii. iv. 243 Granted the great Workman up aloft, then surely we be all useful tools to His hand and all fit for some piece of work.
1988 R. N. D. Martin & S. Brown tr. G. W. Leibniz Disc. Metaphysics 65 Both are good and both can be useful, not only for admiring the artifice of the great Workman, but also in discovering something useful in physics and medicine.
4. With modifying adjective. A person who works in a specified manner, or who possesses a specified level of skill or expertise in a job, art, or craft. See also a bad workman blames his tools at Phrases.
ΘΚΠ
society > occupation and work > worker > worker according to manner of working > [noun]
workman1484
1484 W. Caxton tr. Subtyl Historyes & Fables Esope xiii. f. cxxxij A tayller whiche was as good a werkman of his craft [Fr. ouurier], as ony was at that tyme in alle the world.
?1541 R. Copland Formularye Aydes Apostemes in Guy de Chauliac's Questyonary Cyrurgyens sig. S.j The dylygent workman, workyng the mater of colde apostemes ought to wyt to whiche resolucyon is due.
1598 F. Meres Palladis Tamia f. 198 As a good workman maketh a picture of any matter: so a wise man carieth himselfe well in both fortunes, either prosperous, or aduerse.
1620 I. C. Two Merry Milke-maids iv. i. sig. L4v And thou beest so good a workeman, thou shalt draw my Picture.
1668 J. Evelyn tr. R. Fréart Idea Perfection Painting Advt. to Rdr. sig. a2 Albert Durer, a German Painter, and a most incomparable Workman.
1755 J. Smith Printer's Gram. 98 Neat Workmen prevent a division of a single-letter syllable at the end of lines.
1757 State of Case relating to late Commotions in County of Glocester 23 If the wages to weavers were settled by the hundred and yard,..then the most indifferent workman would be entitled to as good wages as the best.
1849 J. H. Parker Introd. Study Gothic Archit. 88 It being one of the characteristics of a good workman not to waste his material.
1868 C. Darwin in Life & Lett. (1887) III. 98 My health makes me a very slow workman.
1908 Cassier's Mag. Mar. 563/2 The loafer, if he keeps good time, as surely obtains his bonus as the diligent and skillful workman.
1943 Chicago Sunday Tribune 26 Sept. ii. 7/8 A worker held against his will is not a good workman.
1999 J. M. Coetzee Disgrace (2000) xvi. 136 Petrus is a good workman, it is an education to watch him.
ΘΚΠ
the world > animals > invertebrates > phylum Arthropoda > class Insecta > order Hymenoptera > [noun] > suborder Apocrita, Petiolata, or Heterophaga > group Aculeata (stinging) > superfamily Apoidea (bees) > worker
workman1809
the world > animals > invertebrates > phylum Arthropoda > class Insecta > order Hymenoptera > [noun] > suborder Apocrita, Petiolata, or Heterophaga > group Aculeata (stinging) > ant > worker
workman1809
ergate1901
1809 B. Parr London Med. Dict. App. 114/2 The first winged ants usually appear about the end of July, sometimes earlier... The females soon attain their last stage, and the workmen are perfect in about a fortnight after.
1821 W. Wood Illustr. Linnæan Genera of Insect I. 72 Attentive in his observation, Degeer all at once perceived in the midst of them a large winged ant which he found surrounded, and, as it were, hid by the workmen.
?1870 P. M. Duncan Transformations Insects 349 Besides the neuters, workmen, and soldiers, two sorts of nymphs.
Phrases
a bad workman blames his tools and variants: a person who has done something badly will blame his or her equipment, materials, etc., instead of admitting responsibility. [In quot. 1568 ultimately with reference to a longer discussion in Dante Convivio (a1307) i. xi. With quot. 1611 compare Old French mauvés ovriers ne trovera ja bon hostill (13th cent.). Similar proverbs also exist in other European languages.]
ΚΠ
1568 W. Barker tr. G. B. Gelli Fearfull Fansies of Florentine Couper ii. sig. B.iij All artificers not cunninge, doe impute all the errours they do, to the matter they work on [It. tutti gli artifici non molto buoni, li quali di tutti gli errori ch' e' fanno attribuiscono sempre la colpe alla materia].
1611 R. Cotgrave Dict. French & Eng. Tongues at Outil A bungler cannot find (or fit himselfe with) good tooles [Fr. meschant ouvrier ne trouvera ia bons outils].]
a1633 G. Herbert Outlandish Prov. (1640) sig. A4 Never had ill workeman good tooles.
1721 J. Kelly Compl. Coll. Scotish Prov. 13 A bad Workman quarrels with his Tools.
1781 Remembrancer 12 37/1 It proves the truth of an old proverb... A bad workman always complains of his tools.
1828 G. Holford Acct. Gen. Penitentiary at Millbank viii. 195 It has been said that a bad workman is apt to quarrel with his tools.
1883 Vick's Monthly Mag. Oct. 303/1 They say ‘a bad workman always blames his tools’, and I know a bad gardener always blames his seed.
1922 Fortn. Rev. 1 Mar. 516 It is a bad workman who complains of his tools.
1978 Boston Globe 11 Nov. 8/3 The bad workman blames his tools; the bad bridge player complains about the suit breaks.
2008 C. Bradshaw Bloody Nations iii. 65 A bad workman blames his tools; the fact that he does not know how to use them is irrelevant.
Compounds
C1. In sense 1.
a. General attributive and appositive.
ΚΠ
c1550 Complaynt Scotl. (1979) vii. 54 Mony politic verkmanlumis for mecanyc craftis.
1803 R. Heber Palestine 16 No workman steel, no ponderous axes rung.
1899 F. G. Burton Commerc. Managem. Engin. Wks. x. 107 Either by superiority of supervision, by superiority of workman skill, or through the more complete furnishing of his factory.
1908 Westm. Gaz. 7 Feb. 5/2 The workmen-shareholders.
2012 R. Liparulo 13th Tribe 186 The man looked like a lumberjack: long-sleeved flannel shirt, worn workman boots, a shaggy mess of hair.
b. Compounds with workman's, with the sense ‘provided for workmen’. Now chiefly historical.
workman's bus n. (also workmen's bus)
ΚΠ
1890 Bristol Mercury 4 Mar. 6/5 When the workmen's 'bus was proceeding down Bute road yesterday morning, a labourer,..in endeavouring to mount the vehicle, slipped.
1965 A. Prior Interrogators xi. 198 An early morning workman's bus roared and rumbled.
1980 ‘D. Grant’ Emerald Decision i. 20 Workmen's bus, heading for the harbour.
workman's compensation n. (also workmen's compensation)
ΚΠ
1833 Lady's Bk. July 187 (heading) Workmen's compensation. What the term ‘medical service’ in workmen's compensation laws includes.
1940 Economist 3 Feb. 198/2 An all-round increase in the rates payable for workmen's compensation.
2005 Sowetan (Johannesburg) 11 Feb. 28/1 (advt.) The supporting documents to be submitted..are a current registration certificate for value added tax, registration for workman's compensation and a SARS clearance certificate.
workman's train n. (also workmen's train)
ΚΠ
1854 Morning Post 6 June 7/2 He was not in time for the usual workmen's train.
1975 P. McCutchan Very Big Bang xi. 105 ‘They'll call back when the current's off.’ ‘No more workmen's trains?’.. ‘Not on this section.’
2006 B. Lund Understanding Housing Policy ii. 20 The 1883 Cheap Trains Act, requiring railway companies to operate cheap workman's trains, should be enforced.
workman's tram n. (also workmen's tram)
ΚΠ
1878 Weekly Irish Times 30 Mar. 3/2 The hon. member was wrong in saying that there was only one workman's tram running.
1970 S. Alexander St. Giles's Fair 19 The workman's tram passed through St. Giles at five ten a.m.
2013 J. M. Owen Shadow of War vii. 50 The workmen's trams were nearly always full at night too!
C2.
workman's club n. (also workmen's club) now chiefly historical = working men's club n. at working man n. Compounds.
ΚΠ
1831 Standard 19 Feb. The looms being stopped by order of the workmen's clubs and societies.
1911 G. B. Shaw Doctor's Dilemma i. 22 Except for the workmen's clubs, my patients are all clerks and shopmen.
2004 S. Defriend Cockney Sparrow ix. 137 In the evenings the whole family would go to the workman's club, where George was an accomplished pianist.
Derivatives
ˈworkmanize v. rare †(a) transitive to cause to do things in the manner of workmen (obsolete rare); (b) transitive to increase the proportion or influence of workers within (a group); cf. proletarianize v. [In sense (b) after Russian orabočivat′ to increase the ratio of employees with an industrial work background (1920 or earlier) < o- prefix forming verbs denoting process or completion + raboč- stem of rabočij industrial worker (see worker n.) + -ivat′ suffix forming verbs. Compare peasantization n.]
ΚΠ
1892 Los Angeles Times 8 Nov. 5/3 The liquor men..preferred to handle their own cash in their own way rather than to take chances of being Workmanized by the active workers who believe in and practice a patent system of hold-out.
1930 S. N. Harper Making Bolsheviks 34 The leaders ordered the cleansing of the Soviet apparatus to eliminate harmful and hostile elements, and at the same time to ‘workmanize’ the governmental bodies.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, September 2014; most recently modified version published online December 2021).
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n.eOE