mother-hive of artisans
- noun
:
cuna de artesanos
- That workshop is the mother-hive of artisans who trained many of the city's famous sculptors.
Examples
-
The region became a mother-hive of artisans after centuries of craftsmanship tradition.
-
Paris is often considered a mother-hive of artisans.
-
During the Renaissance, Florence was a mother-hive of artisans in Europe.
-
Many cities aspire to be a mother-hive of artisans.
-
During the Renaissance, Florence was a mother-hive of artisans known for its skilled craftsmanship.
-
That workshop is a mother-hive of artisans, training many talented sculptors in the city.
-
The region became a mother-hive of artisans, attracting skilled craftsmen from across the country.
Synonyms
21
2.7
A place where an idea, activity, or movement first started
12
6.8
A large rich source of valuable things like gold or information
5
5.0
A large company or main office that supports smaller branches
A busy place that helps people and ideas grow
Antonyms
Surface Forms
Morphology
mother-hive + of + artisan
The idea can be partially derived: 'mother' can metaphorically signal origin or source and 'hive' evokes a busy cluster (as in 'a hive of activity'), so a learner who knows 'mother', 'hive' and 'artisan' can plausibly infer a central, busy source of craftsmen. However, 'mother-hive' is an uncommon, novel compound and relies on layered metaphors, so the exact nuance is not fully predictable without exposure.
Etymology
Mother-hive of artisans comes from the picture of a busy bee hive with a mother (queen) that produces many worker bees who all do important jobs. So, the phrase means a place that creates many skilled workers and acts as a central 'source' of craft and skill.