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Glite Dictionary
shoemaker's last

shoemaker's last

9.9
A solid foot-shaped form that people who make shoes use to shape or repair shoes
  • noun
  • /ˈʃuːˌmeɪkərz læst/
  • Specialized
translation icon : plantilla
  • The cobbler placed the leather over the shoemaker's last to shape the new boots.

Examples

  • He repaired the torn shoe using a shoemaker's last he inherited from his grandfather.

  • The shoemaker's last was crafted from wood.

  • A well-made shoemaker's last ensures that the shoes will fit comfortably.

  • Can you pass me the shoemaker's last?

  • The cobbler placed the leather over the shoemaker's last to shape the new boots.

  • He repaired the torn shoe using a shoemaker's last he inherited from his grandfather.

  • A well-made shoemaker's last ensures that the shoes will fit comfortably.

Synonyms

last
vsshoemaker's last
  • Specialized
2 8.5

A block shaped like a human foot used to make or fix shoes

is named after the maker rather than using the neutral technical word
cobbler's last
vsshoemaker's last
  • Specialized
9.9

A solid shape like a foot used to make or fix shoes

is named with the maker job word instead of the alternative job name

Surface Forms

shoemaker's last singular
shoemaker's lasts plural

Morphology

shoemaker's + last

The phrase is compositionally transparent: the possessive 'shoemaker's' plus 'last' (a block shaped like a foot) directly denotes the shoemaker's foot-shaped form used to make or repair shoes. A B1 learner who knows both constituents can infer this literal meaning because the possessive + noun pattern and the object function are regular and easily predictable.

Etymology

Shoemaker's last names a real tool used by shoemakers. A last is a solid block shaped like a human foot that a shoemaker puts leather over to shape shoes, so the phrase now means 'the solid form used to make or repair shoes'.