Armorsmith

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A skilled craftsman who forges, shapes, and repairs protective metal armor worn by soldiers and knights
2. Someone who makes or fixes suits of metal armor, working with hammer, anvil, and forge to protect warriors
3. A metalworker trained to create and maintain defensive plate and mail worn in battle

Etymology: "Armorsmith" is about as transparent as compounds get: it joins "armor" to "smith," the old word for a metalworker who shaped iron or steel by hammering it. The first half comes from Old French "armure," itself drawn from Latin "armatura," meaning equipment or fittings for fighting, while "smith" descends from Old English "smið," a worker in metal. Put together, the pair names the craftsman who forged protective gear, which is why the compound reads so literally. The more interesting thread lies in the second element. "Smith" once covered every kind of metal craft, and it still survives in other compounds such as "blacksmith" and "goldsmith," each naming a specialist within that broad trade. "Armorsmith" narrows the focus to protective plate and mail, distinguishing the maker of helmets and breastplates from the farrier or swordsmith working nearby.

Synonyms: armorer, armourer, armoursmith