75 Names of Unusual or Obsolete Occupations

75 Names of Unusual or Obsolete Occupations 75 Names of Unusual or Obsolete Occupations 75 Names of Unusual or Obsolete Occupations By Mark Nichol The English language abounds with word describing occupations and professions that are rare or obsolete or are otherwise unusual and hence obscure. Here is an incomplete but extensive list of such terms, along with brief definitions. 1. ackerman: a plowman or oxherder 2. alewife: a proprietor of a tavern 3. alnager: a wool inspector 4. arkwright: a carpenter specializing in wooden chests 5. bowyer: a bowmaker 6. brazier: a brass worker 7. catchpole: an official who pursues those with delinquent debts 8. caulker: someone who packs seams in ships or around windows 9. chandler: a candlemaker, or a retail supplier of specific equipment 10. chiffonier: a wigmaker 11. cobbler: a shoemaker 12. collier: a coal miner or a maker of charcoal (also, a ship that transports coal) 13. cooper: a maker or repairer of barrels, casks, and tubs 14. cordwainer: a shoemaker 15. costermonger: a fruit seller 16. crocker: a potter 17. currier: a leather tanner, or a horse groom 18. draper: a cloth dealer 19. drayman: a driver of a heavy freight cart 20. drummer: a traveling salesman 21. duffer: a peddler 22. eggler: an egg seller 23. factor: an agent or steward 24. farrier: someone who trims horse hooves and puts on horseshoes 25. fishmonger: a fish seller 26. fletcher: a maker of arrows 27. fuller: someone who shrinks and thickens wool cloth 28. glazier: a glassmaker or window maker 29. haberdasher: an owner of or worker in a store for men’s clothing or small items used for making clothes 30. hawker: a peddler 31. hayward: an official responsible for fences and hedges 32. higgler: a peddler of dairy products and small game (also, a haggler, or someone who negotiates for lower prices) 33. hobbler: a person who tows boats on a canal or river 34. hooper: a maker of hoops for barrels, casks, and tubs 35. hostler or ostler: one who cares for horses or mules, or moves or services locomotives (originally, an innkeeper, who also maintained stables) 36. huckster: a peddler (now refers to a con artist) 37. ice cutter: someone who saws blocks of ice for refrigeration 38. ironmonger: a seller of items made of iron 39. joiner: a carpenter who specializes in furniture and fittings 40. keeler: a crew member on a barge or a keelboat 41. knacker: one who buys animals or animal carcasses to use as animal food or as fertilizer (originally, a harness maker or saddle maker) 42. knocker-up: a professional waker, who literally knocks on doors or windows to rouse people from sleep 43. lamplighter: someone who lights, extinguishes, and refuels gas street lamps 44. lapidary: a jeweler 45. lector: someone who reads to factory workers for entertainment 46. log driver: someone who floats and guides logs downriver for transportation 47. milliner: a designer, maker, or seller of women’s hats 48. muleskinner: a wagon driver 49. peruker: a wigmaker 50. pinsetter: someone who sets bowling pins back up after each bowl 51. plowright: a maker of plows and other farm implements 52. plumber: originally, one who installed lead roofing or set lead frames for windows 53. porter: a doorkeeper or gatekeeper 54. puddler: a worker in wrought iron 55. quarryman: a stonecutter 56. raker: a street cleaner 57. resurrectionist: someone who digs up recently buried corpses for use as cadavers 58. ripper: a fish seller 59. roper: a maker of nets and ropes 60. sawyer: a carpenter 61. slater: a roofer 62. slopseller: a seller of ready-made clothing, as opposed to a tailor 63. stevedore: a dockworker 64. tanner: someone who cures animal hides to make leather 65. teamster: a wagon driver 66. thatcher: someone who makes thatched roofs 67. tinker: a repairer or seller of small metal goods such as pots and pans 68. turner: someone who uses a lathe to turn wood for balustrades and spindles 69. victualer: an innkeeper, or a merchant who provides food for ships or for the military 70. wainwright: a wagon maker 71. webster: a weaver 72. weirkeeper: a fish trapper 73. wharfinger: an owner or operator of a wharf 74. wheelwright: a maker of wheels for carriages and wagons 75. whitesmith: a worker of tin Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Apply to, Apply for, and Apply withHow to Play HQ Words: Cheats, Tips and Tricks15 English Words of Indian Origin