handicraft

noun hand·i·craft \ ˈhan-di-ˌkraft , -dē- \

Updated on: 14 Apr 2018

Definition of handicraft

1 a : manual skill

b : an occupation requiring skill with the hands

2 : the articles fashioned by those engaged in handicraft

—

handicrafter

play \ˈhan-di-ˌkraf-tər, -dē-\ noun

See handicraft defined for English-language learners

See handicraft defined for kids

Examples of handicraft in a Sentence

Her favorite handicraft is sewing.
volunteers demonstrating early American handicrafts, such as blacksmithing, glassblowing, and weaving

Recent Examples of handicraft from the Web

The rich handicraft heritage of Mexico is on curated display at this home goods shop in the upscale Polanco district.

— scarlett lindeman, Bon Appetit, "The Best Healthy Restaurants in Mexico City," 28 Mar. 2018
There, as in Pacaraima, many live on the street, beg, and sell handicrafts in the other cities.

— peter prengaman, The Christian Science Monitor, "Brazil works to accommodate indigenous migrants from Venezuela," 27 Mar. 2018
There, as in Pacaraima, many live on the street, beg and sell handicrafts in the other cities.

— Washington Post, "Brazil struggles to care for Venezuela’s indigenous Warao," 27 Mar. 2018
Each hut has four-poster beds, mosquito netting, and an outdoor Jacuzzi, and is decorated with a variety of embroidered pillows and other local handicrafts.

— jon lee anderson, Condé Nast Traveler, "Stepping Beyond Cartagena: Exploring Colombia's Northern Reaches," 21 Mar. 2018
In the early 1930s, Bruno Schulz was a high-school teacher of art and handicrafts in Drohobycz, a modest town in what was then eastern Poland.

— ruth franklin, WSJ, "Review of Bruno Schulz’s ‘Collected Stories’: Return to the Street of Crocodiles," 15 Mar. 2018
Quilts are a handicraft sewn throughout history by people of all races; historians say the process of sewing two or more layers of fabric together to make a thicker, padded material goes back thousands of years.

— bill laitner, Detroit Free Press, "Auto worker's black-history quilt memorializes 5,000 souls lost to lynch mobs in U.S.," 12 Feb. 2018
On June 17, 1936, First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt visited the WPA sewing and handicraft project with Marion County project director Roberta West Nicholson at the former RCA building at Michigan and LaSalle streets.

— dawn mitchell, Indianapolis Star, "WPA sewing project kept Hoosier women working through the Great Depression," 19 Jan. 2018
In Shengzhou, among the most prolific regions in Zhejiang province in eastern China, about 95% of bamboo handicrafts are exported.

— The Economist, "Innovative materials from bamboo are helping a new industry to sprout," 20 Jan. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'handicraft.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of handicraft

Middle English handi-crafte, alteration of handcraft

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1523

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

handicraft Synonyms

Synonyms

art, craft, handcraft, trade;

Related Words

skill;

calling, métier (also metier), occupation, profession, vocation;

HANDICRAFT Defined for English Language Learners

handicraft

noun

Definition of handicraft for English Language Learners

: an activity that involves making something in a skillful way by using your hands
: an object made by skillful use of your hands

HANDICRAFT Defined for Kids

handicraft

noun hand·i·craft \ ˈhan-di-ˌkraft \

Definition of handicraft for Students

1 : an activity or craft (as weaving or pottery making) that requires skill with the hands

2 : an article made by skillful use of the hands

Learn More about handicraft

See words that rhyme with handicraft Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for handicraft Spanish Central: Translation of handicraft Nglish: Translation of handicraft for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of handicraft for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about handicraft

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handicraft

Definition of handicraft

handicrafter

Examples of handicraft in a Sentence

Recent Examples of handicraft from the Web

Origin and Etymology of handicraft

handicraft Synonyms

Synonyms

Related Words

HANDICRAFT Defined for English Language Learners

handicraft

Definition of handicraft for English Language Learners

HANDICRAFT Defined for Kids

handicraft

Definition of handicraft for Students

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