Sculptor

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈskʌlptɚ/

Definitions

1. A person who creates three-dimensional artworks by shaping or combining materials
2. An artist specializing in the process of carving, modeling, or assembling objects in relief or in the round
3. An individual dedicated to producing artistic forms through techniques such as carving, casting, and constructing with various media

Etymology: Latin "sculptor" was the Roman word for a carver, someone who worked by cutting or chiseling stone, wood, or metal into shape. The Latin noun came from "sculpere," meaning "to carve," which is why the English word still carries the idea of removing material from a block rather than building up a form from nothing. English borrowed the term directly from Latin, so it kept the agent-forming ending "-or," which marks a doer, much as it does in words like "actor" and "editor." The Latin verb underneath it, "sculpere," is the base that also gave English "sculpt," so the noun and the verb have always been close relatives. The word is a plain Latin borrowing, and its meaning has stayed close to the original sense of carving.

Synonyms: artist, carver, modeler