Scrimshanders

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A person who engages in the art of carving or engraving on whale bones or shells as a form of artistic craftsmanship
2. An individual skilled in the creation of intricate designs on materials such as ivory or shell, often utilizing traditional methods
3. Someone who practices the technique of decorating and shaping hard materials, creating detailed artwork typically associated with maritime culture

Etymology: Here "scrimshanders" is the third-person singular present form of "scrimshander," so it describes someone who carves bone, as in "he scrimshanders the whale's tooth on the long voyage." The form is a verb, which is why it ends in "-s" when used with "he" or "she." The base word is tied to the craft of scrimshaw, the engraving and carving of whalebone and whale teeth, often done by sailors during long sea voyages. Carvers typically worked with ivory and bone, scratching designs and filling them with soot or ink to make the pictures stand out.