gem cutter
- noun
- /dʒɛm ˈkʌtər/
:
lapidario
- As a gem cutter, her job involved turning rough stones into stunning pieces for jewelry.
Examples
-
He described the experiences of Dutch gem cutters when they tested the durability of tourmaline in a fire.
Academic text (2005) -
The skilled gem cutter carefully shaped the emerald to enhance its natural beauty.
-
Some became weavers, gem cutters.
Fiction book (1993) -
The gem cutter demonstrated how to polish the sapphire until it sparkled brightly.
Synonyms
1
9.9
A person who cuts, shapes, or polishes precious stones
A person who cuts and polishes precious stones like diamonds
A person who cuts, shapes, and carves valuable stones like diamonds and rubies
How Skilled
39
2.8
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'a person who cuts and shapes precious stones' is directly and transparently derived from combining 'gem' (precious stone) with 'cutter' (someone who cuts); the compound follows the regular English noun+agent pattern. This compositional and cross-linguistically common pattern makes the meaning easily inferable by a B1 learner who knows both constituents.
Etymology
The noun gem cutter shows the literal job: the gem is a precious stone and the cutter is the person who uses tools to cut and shape a rough stone into many flat sides so it becomes shiny. That's why it means 'a person who cuts and shapes precious stones'.