Blacksmithing

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The craft of shaping and forging metal into tools, weapons, and other objects involves techniques of heating and hammering
2. This skilled trade encompasses the process of manipulating iron and other metals through heating, forging, and finishing
3. Engaging in the art of metalworking, specifically by heating and shaping metals to create functional or decorative items is a traditional practice

Etymology: The surprising part is the colour. "Black" here has nothing to do with dark skin or evil; it refers to the dark, scaly oxide that forms on iron when it is heated and hammered. Smiths were the people who worked iron, so the one who worked it became the "black smith," and the craft that followed took the same name. "Smith" is an older word for a worker in metal, and it is related to "smite," meaning to strike a blow. The smith's identity was defined by the hammer, so the word for the person came from the act of striking. Blacksmithing, then, is literally the craft of striking the dark iron into shape.

Synonyms: forging, metalworking, smithing, crafting, manufacturing