This is an older occupational description for anyone whose primary trade involves extracting, refining, or shaping metal. It served as a catch-all word before the industry split into highly specialized roles like metallurgists, machinists, and foundrymen. It occasionally appears in historical records to describe a skilled metalworker.
Heard on the job
The ship manifest lists his occupation as a metallist, but we don't know if he was a blacksmith or a smelter.
Insider tip
Use specific job titles like metallurgist, founder, or smith instead of this broad historical term.
Also heard as
- metalworker