Meanings
cobbler1
plural cobblers · alternative obsolete cobler
- A person who repairs, and sometimes makes, shoes.
[W]hat would they think of a French cobler cutting ſhoes for ſeveral of his fellow-ſubjects out of an old apple-tree?
1710 February 20 (Gregorian calendar), Joseph Addison, “The Free-holder: No. 15. Thursday, February 10. [1710.]”, in The Works of the Right Honourable Joseph Addison, Esq; […], volume IV, London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], published 1721, →OCLC, page 4143 more examples
This honest Cobler has done what he might: / That Statesmen in their Shoes might walk upright. / But rotten Shoes of Spannish running-leather: / No Coblers skill, can stitch them strong together.
1647, Jerome Bellamie, “Postscript”, in Theodore de la Guard [pseudonym; Nathaniel Ward], The Simple Cobler of Aggawam in America. […], London: […] J[ohn] D[ever] & R[obert] I[bbitson] for Stephen Bowtell, […], →OCLC; The Simple Cobler of Aggawam in America (Force’s Collection of Historical Tracts; vol. III, no. 8), 5th edition, Boston, Mass.: […] Daniel Henchman, […]; [Washington, D.C.: W. Q. Force], 1713 (1844 printing), →OCLC, page 58All honeſt jogg trotmen, who go on ſmoothly and dully, and write hiſtory and politics, and are praiſed; and who, had they been bred coblers, would all their lives have only mended ſhoes, but never made them.
1766, [Oliver Goldsmith], “The History of a Philosophic Vagabond, Pursuing Novelty, but Losing Content”, in The Vicar of Wakefield: […], volume I, Salisbury, Wiltshire: […] B. Collins, for F[rancis] Newbery, […], →OCLC, page 5But what of that vast number of the human kind who were always in the background? What of the hewers of wood and drawers of water, the swineherds, the shepherds, the carpenters, the hedgers and cobblers?
1922, Eleanour Sinclair Rohde, The Old English Herbals, London: Longmans, Green and Co., page 13Synonyms: botcher, chuckler, lad of wax, shoemender, souter, waxie, waxy
- obsoleteA person who cobbles (“to assemble or mend in an improvised or rough way”); a clumsy workman.
Truely Sir, in reſpect of a fine Workman, / I am but as you would ſay, a Cobler.
1599 (first performance), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Iulius Cæsar”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene i], page 109, column 1
cobbler2
plural cobblers
- USalcoholic beveragesAn (iced) alcoholic drink containing spirit or wine, with lemon juice and sugar.
It was very hot when Captain Littledale was here; he did nothing but drink sherry cobblers.
1878, Henry James, An International Episode2 more examples
[H]e produced a very large tumbler, piled up to the brim with little blocks of clear transparent ice, through which one or two thin slices of lemon, and a golden liquid of delicious appearance, appeared from the still depths below, to the loving eye of the spectator. […] "This wonderful invention, sir," said Mark, tenderly patting the empty glass, "is called a cobbler. Sherry cobbler when you name it long; cobbler, when you name it short.[…]"
1842 December – 1844 July, Charles Dickens, “Martin Enlarges His Circle of Acquaintance; […]”, in The Life and Adventures of Martin Chuzzlewit, London: Chapman and Hall, […], published 1844, →OCLC, pages 223–224In the creed of Asirvadam the Brahmin, the drinker of strong drink is a Pariah, and the eater of cow's flesh is damned already. If, then, he can tell a cocktail from a cobbler, and scientifically discriminate between a julep and a gin-sling, it must be because the Vedas are unclasped to him; for in the Vedas all things are taught.
1858 June, “Asirvadam the Brahmin”, in The Atlantic Monthly. A Magazine of Literature, Art, and Politics, volume II, number VIII, Boston, Mass.: Phillips, Sampson and Company, […]; London: Trübner and Company, →OCLC, page 86, column 1
cobbler3
cobbler4
plural cobblers
- UKdialectalThe shiny, hard seed of the horse chestnut tree (Aesculus hippocastanum), especially when used in the game of the same name (sense 1.2); a conker, a horse chestnut.
1 more example
["A]n' 'e was mad, an' so he snatched my cobbler an' run off with it. An' so I run after 'im, an' when I was gettin' hold of him, 'e dodged, an' it ripped 'is collar. But I got my cobbler—" He pulled from his pocket a black old horse-chestnut hanging on a string. This old cobbler had "cobbled"—hit and smashed—seventeen other cobblers on similar strings. So this boy was proud of his veteran.
1913, D[avid] H[erbert] Lawrence, “The Casting Off of Morel—The Taking On of William”, in Sons and Lovers, London: Duckworth & Co. […], →OCLC, part I, page 50 - UKdialectalgamesSynonym of conkers (“a game for two players in which the participants each have a horse-chestnut (known as a cobbler (sense 1.1) or conker) suspended from a length of string, and take turns to strike their opponent's conker with their own with the object of destroying the opponent's conker before their own is destroyed”).
Synonyms: conkers
cobbler5
plural cobblers
- Used as a name for various animals.
- AustraliaThe South Australian catfish (Cnidoglanis macrocephalus), a species of catfish native to Australia which has dorsal and pectoral fins bearing sharp, venomous spines.
Fished for cobblers in the evening. The warbler sings its night-song.
1831 November 10, George Fletcher Moore, “The Journey”, in Martin Doyle, editor, Extracts from the Letters and Journals of George Fletcher Moore, Esq. […], London: Orr and Smith, […]; Dublin: W. Curry, Jun. & Co. […], published 1834, →OCLC, page 122 - UKAlso river cobbler: basa (Pangasius bocourti), an edible species of shark catfish native to the Chao Phraya and Mekong river basins in Southeast Asia.
- UKPangas catfish (Pangasius pangasius), an edible species of shark catfish native to Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, and Pakistan.
- USCondica sutor, an owlet moth native to North America.
- plural normallyslangA police officer.
Look out: it’s the cobblers!
Synonyms: 5-O, alphabet, barney, beatsman, bizzie, bluebottle, bluecoat, blue heeler
cobbler6
plural cobblers
- USOften preceded by a descriptive word as in apple cobbler, peach cobbler, etc.: a kind of pie, usually filled with fruit, originally having a crust at the base but nowadays generally lacking this and instead topped with a thick, cake-like pastry layer.
The Al Qaeda online magazine 'Inspire' has a recipe for a homemade bomb. They also have a recipe for a pretty darn good peach cobbler.
2013 April 30, Norm Macdonald Live, season 1, episode 6, spoken by Larry King1 more example
I have selected a few dishes, and made out a little bill of fare, which will go home in the steamer that precedes me, and be hot when I arrive—as follows: […] Apple puffs, Southern style. Peach cobbler, Southern style. Peach pie. American mince pie.
1880, Mark Twain [pseudonym] (Samuel L[anghorne] Clemens), “”, in A Tramp Abroad; […], Hartford, Conn.: American Publishing Company; London: Chatto & Windus, →OCLC, pages 574–575
cobbler7
Cobbler8
plural Cobblers
- A person from Northamptonshire (traditionally a centre for shoemaking)
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA person who repairs, and sometimes makes, shoes.
nounSynonym of conkers (“a game for two players in which the participants each have a horse-chestnut (known as a cobbler (sense 1.1) or conker) suspended from a length of string, and take turns to strike their opponent's conker with their own with the object of destroying the opponent's conker before their own is destroyed”).
nounA police officer.
More synonyms by meaning
nouna pie made of fruit with rich biscuit dough usually only on top of the fruit
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
cobbler · noun
- Middle Englishcobeler
- Englishcobbler
Inherited from Middle English cobeler, cobelere (“mender of shoes, cobbler”) [and other forms]; further origin unknown. The word appears to be derived from an early form of cobble (“to mend roughly, patch; (specifically) to mend shoes, especially roughly”) + -er (suffix forming agent nouns), but is attested much earlier than the verb which suggests that the verb may be a back-formation from cobbler. Sense 2 (“sheep left to the end to be sheared”) is a pun on cobbler’s last (“tool for shaping or preserving the shape of shoes”); while sense 3 (“clumsy workman”) is derived from cobble + -er: see above.
More words from Middle English
Full word history & related roots →cobbler · noun
Uncertain; it has been suggested that the word derives from cobbler’s punch (“warm drink made of beer with added spirit, sugar, and spices”), or because the drink patches up (“repairs; makes better”) the drinker.
Full word history & related roots →cobbler · noun
- Proto-Indo-European*gup-“round object; knoll”
- Proto-Germanic*kuppaz“round object, orb; knoll; hilltop, summit; crown or top of the head; head; skull; bowl; container, vessel”
- Old Englishcop
- Englishcobbler
From cobble (“rounded stone used for paving roads, cobblestone”) + -er (occupational suffix). Cobble is from Late Middle English, from cobbe (“head or leader; gangleader; bully (?); male swan, cob; the head; something rounded or in the form of a lump”) + -le, -el (suffix forming diminutives). The further etymology of cobbe is uncertain; it is perhaps a variant of cop (“the top of something (a house, tower, mountain, tree, etc.); crown or top of the head; the head”), from Old English cop, copp (“summit, top; cup, vessel”), from Proto-Germanic *kuppaz (“round object, orb; knoll; hilltop, summit; crown or top of the head; head; skull; bowl; container, vessel”), from Proto-Indo-European *gup- (“round object; knoll”), from *gew- (“to bend, curve; an arch, vault”). However, this is doubted by the Oxford English Dictionary.
More words from Old English, Proto-Germanic, Proto-Indo-European
Full word history & related roots →cobbler · noun
- Middle Englishcobbe“head or leader; gangleader; bully (?); male swan, cob; the head; something rounded or in the form of a lump”
- Englishcobbler
Probably a variant of or related to cob, cobb (“stony fruit kernel; nut used in the game of conkers, conker; game of conkers”), perhaps from Middle English cobbe (“head or leader; gangleader; bully (?); male swan, cob; the head; something rounded or in the form of a lump”): see further at etymology 3.
More words from Middle English
Full word history & related roots →cobbler · noun
Uncertain. First attested in 1859; various suggested etymologies include: * the top having the appearance of cobblestone rather than smooth rolled-out pastry; * Middle English cobeler, some type of wooden bowl, dish, or vessel (mentioned in a 1385 list of wooden vessels) * the dish having been cobbled together, as it is suggested it may have originated in the British colonies in America among settlers who lacked ingredients and tools to make things like traditional suet pudding and so fit together pieces of other pastry-topping materials.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek ὑποδηματοποιός, νευρορρᾰ́φος
- ὑποδηματοποιός (hupodēmatopoiós)person who repairs, and sometimes makes, shoes
- νευρορρᾰ́φος (neurorrhắphos)person who repairs, and sometimes makes, shoes
- πᾰλαιορᾰ́φος (pălaiorắphos)person who repairs, and sometimes makes, shoes
- σκυτεύς (skuteús)person who repairs, and sometimes makes, shoes
- σκῡτοτόμος (skūtotómos)person who repairs, and sometimes makes, shoes
Arabic إِسْكَاف
- إِسْكَاف (ʔiskāf)person who repairs, and sometimes makes, shoes
Basque zapatari
- zapatariperson who repairs, and sometimes makes, shoes
Bengali মুচী
- মুচী (muci)person who repairs, and sometimes makes, shoes
Bulgarian обуща́р, ченге
- обуща́р (obuštár)person who repairs, and sometimes makes, shoes
- ченге (čenge)(slang) police officer
- плодов сладкиш (plodov sladkiš)kind of pie, usually filled with fruit and topped with a thick, cake-like pastry layer
Catalan sabater, sabatera
- sabaterperson who repairs, and sometimes makes, shoes
- sabateraperson who repairs, and sometimes makes, shoes
Chinese Mandarin 皮匠, 鞋匠
- 皮匠 (píjiàng)person who repairs, and sometimes makes, shoes
- 鞋匠 (xiéjiàng)person who repairs, and sometimes makes, shoes
Czech švec, příštipkář
- švecperson who repairs, and sometimes makes, shoes
- příštipkářperson who repairs, and sometimes makes, shoes
Danish skoflikker, skomager
- skoflikkerperson who repairs, and sometimes makes, shoes
- skomagerperson who repairs, and sometimes makes, shoes
- klamphuggerclumsy workman
- brolæggerroadworker who lays cobbles
Dutch schoenlapper, schoenlapster
- schoenlapperperson who repairs, and sometimes makes, shoes
- schoenlapsterperson who repairs, and sometimes makes, shoes
- schoenmakerperson who repairs, and sometimes makes, shoes
- schoenmaaksterperson who repairs, and sometimes makes, shoes
- fruittaartkind of pie, usually filled with fruit and topped with a thick, cake-like pastry layer
- taartkind of pie, usually filled with fruit and topped with a thick, cake-like pastry layer
Esperanto ŝuflikisto, ŝuflikistino
- ŝuflikistoperson who repairs, and sometimes makes, shoes
- ŝuflikistinoperson who repairs, and sometimes makes, shoes
- botistoperson who repairs, and sometimes makes, shoes
- botistinoperson who repairs, and sometimes makes, shoes
- ŝuistoperson who repairs, and sometimes makes, shoes
- ŝuistinoperson who repairs, and sometimes makes, shoes
Estonian kingsepp
- kingseppperson who repairs, and sometimes makes, shoes
Finnish suutari, rajasuutari
- suutariperson who repairs, and sometimes makes, shoes
- rajasuutariperson who repairs, and sometimes makes, shoes
- tunariclumsy workman
- cobbleralcoholic drink containing spirit or wine, with lemon juice and sugar
- kivimiesroadworker who lays cobbles
- kyttä(slang) police officer
- jepari(slang) police officer
- jeppe(slang) police officer
- pollari(slang) police officer
- paistoskind of pie, usually filled with fruit and topped with a thick, cake-like pastry layer
French bouif, cordonnier
- bouifperson who repairs, and sometimes makes, shoes
- cordonnierperson who repairs, and sometimes makes, shoes
- cordonnièreperson who repairs, and sometimes makes, shoes
- savetierperson who repairs, and sometimes makes, shoes
- savetièreperson who repairs, and sometimes makes, shoes
- ouvrier paveurroadworker who lays cobbles
- ouvrière paveuseroadworker who lays cobbles
German Flickschuster, Flickschusterin
- Flickschusterperson who repairs, and sometimes makes, shoes
- Flickschusterinperson who repairs, and sometimes makes, shoes
- Schuhflickerperson who repairs, and sometimes makes, shoes
- Schuhflickerinperson who repairs, and sometimes makes, shoes
- Schuhmacherperson who repairs, and sometimes makes, shoes
- Schuhmacherinperson who repairs, and sometimes makes, shoes
- Schusterperson who repairs, and sometimes makes, shoes
- Schusterinperson who repairs, and sometimes makes, shoes
- Flickschusterclumsy workman
- Flickschusterinclumsy workman
- Patzerclumsy workman
- Patzerinclumsy workman
- Pflastererroadworker who lays cobbles
- Pflasterinroadworker who lays cobbles
- Steinlegerroadworker who lays cobbles
- Steinlegerinroadworker who lays cobbles
- Steinsetzerroadworker who lays cobbles
- Steinsetzerinroadworker who lays cobbles
- Straßenpflastererroadworker who lays cobbles
- Strassenpflastererroadworker who lays cobbles
- Straßenpflasterinroadworker who lays cobbles
- Strassenpflasterinroadworker who lays cobbles
- Pflästereihandlangerroadworker who lays cobbles
- Pflästereihandlangerinroadworker who lays cobbles
- Bulle(slang) police officer
- Polente(slang) police officer
- Polyp(slang) police officer
- Auflaufkind of pie, usually filled with fruit and topped with a thick, cake-like pastry layer
- Fruchtpastetekind of pie, usually filled with fruit and topped with a thick, cake-like pastry layer
- Obstauflaufkind of pie, usually filled with fruit and topped with a thick, cake-like pastry layer
Greek παπουτσής, τσαγκάρης
- παπουτσής (papoutsís)person who repairs, and sometimes makes, shoes
- τσαγκάρης (tsagkáris)person who repairs, and sometimes makes, shoes
- υποδηματοποιός (ypodimatopoiós)person who repairs, and sometimes makes, shoes
Hindi चमार, मोची
- चमार (camār)person who repairs, and sometimes makes, shoes
- मोची (mocī)person who repairs, and sometimes makes, shoes
Hungarian cipész, suszter
- cipészperson who repairs, and sometimes makes, shoes
- suszterperson who repairs, and sometimes makes, shoes
- vargaperson who repairs, and sometimes makes, shoes
- fakabát(slang) police officer
- sün(slang) police officer
- zsaru(slang) police officer
- zsernyák(slang) police officer
Icelandic skómakari, skósmiður
- skómakariperson who repairs, and sometimes makes, shoes
- skósmiðurperson who repairs, and sometimes makes, shoes
Irish caibléir, gréasaí
- caibléirperson who repairs, and sometimes makes, shoes
- gréasaíperson who repairs, and sometimes makes, shoes
- gréasaíPangasius pangasius
Italian calzolaio, calzolaia
- calzolaioperson who repairs, and sometimes makes, shoes
- calzolaiaperson who repairs, and sometimes makes, shoes
- ciabattinoperson who repairs, and sometimes makes, shoes
- ciabattinaperson who repairs, and sometimes makes, shoes
- zabattieroperson who repairs, and sometimes makes, shoes
- zabattieraperson who repairs, and sometimes makes, shoes
- acciottolatoreroadworker who lays cobbles
- acciottolatriceroadworker who lays cobbles
Japanese 靴直し, 靴屋
- 靴直し (kutsunaoshi)person who repairs, and sometimes makes, shoes
- 靴屋 (kutsuya)person who repairs, and sometimes makes, shoes
Latin calceātor, calceātrīx
- calceātorperson who repairs, and sometimes makes, shoes
- calceātrīxperson who repairs, and sometimes makes, shoes
- calciātorperson who repairs, and sometimes makes, shoes
- calciātrīxperson who repairs, and sometimes makes, shoes
- sūtorperson who repairs, and sometimes makes, shoes
- sūtrīxperson who repairs, and sometimes makes, shoes
- sūtriballusperson who repairs, and sometimes makes, shoes
Latvian apavnieks, apavniece
- apavnieksperson who repairs, and sometimes makes, shoes
- apavnieceperson who repairs, and sometimes makes, shoes
- kurpnieksperson who repairs, and sometimes makes, shoes
- kurpnieceperson who repairs, and sometimes makes, shoes
Māori hūmeke
- hūmekeperson who repairs, and sometimes makes, shoes
Norwegian Bokmål skomaker
- skomakerperson who repairs, and sometimes makes, shoes
Persian کفاش
- کفاش (kaffâš)person who repairs, and sometimes makes, shoes
Polish łatacz, szewc
- łataczperson who repairs, and sometimes makes, shoes
- szewcperson who repairs, and sometimes makes, shoes
- szewczyniperson who repairs, and sometimes makes, shoes
- ostatnia owca do strzyżeniasheep left to the end to be sheared
- niezdaraclumsy workman
- cobbleralcoholic drink containing spirit or wine, with lemon juice and sugar
- brukarzroadworker who lays cobbles
- skorpena marmurkowaGymnapistes marmoratus
- panga indyjskaPangasius pangasius
- sówka szewczykCondica sutor
- gliniarz(slang) police officer
- plotos wielkogłowyCnidoglanis macrocephalus
- cobblerkind of pie, usually filled with fruit and topped with a thick, cake-like pastry layer
Portuguese sapateiro, sapateira
- sapateiroperson who repairs, and sometimes makes, shoes
- sapateiraperson who repairs, and sometimes makes, shoes
Romanian ciubotar, cizmar
- ciubotarperson who repairs, and sometimes makes, shoes
- cizmarperson who repairs, and sometimes makes, shoes
- pantofarperson who repairs, and sometimes makes, shoes
- caldarâmgiuroadworker who lays cobbles
Russian башма́чник, сапо́жник
- башма́чник (bašmáčnik)person who repairs, and sometimes makes, shoes
- сапо́жник (sapóžnik)person who repairs, and sometimes makes, shoes
- сапо́жница (sapóžnica)person who repairs, and sometimes makes, shoes
Scottish Gaelic greusaiche
- greusaicheperson who repairs, and sometimes makes, shoes
Spanish remendón, remendona
- remendónperson who repairs, and sometimes makes, shoes
- remendonaperson who repairs, and sometimes makes, shoes
- zapateroperson who repairs, and sometimes makes, shoes
- zapateraperson who repairs, and sometimes makes, shoes
- zapatero remendónperson who repairs, and sometimes makes, shoes
- zapatera remendonaperson who repairs, and sometimes makes, shoes
Swedish skomakare, skomakerska
- skomakareperson who repairs, and sometimes makes, shoes
- skomakerskaperson who repairs, and sometimes makes, shoes
- skoflickareperson who repairs, and sometimes makes, shoes
- kobbelalcoholic drink containing spirit or wine, with lemon juice and sugar
- aina(slang) police officer
- snut(slang) police officer
Turkish ayakkabıcı
- ayakkabıcıperson who repairs, and sometimes makes, shoes
Ukrainian чоботар, швець
- чоботар (čobotar)person who repairs, and sometimes makes, shoes
- швець (švecʹ)person who repairs, and sometimes makes, shoes
Welsh crydd
- cryddperson who repairs, and sometimes makes, shoes
Yiddish טייגבאַדעקטע פֿרוכט
- טייגבאַדעקטע פֿרוכט (teygbadekte frukht)kind of pie, usually filled with fruit and topped with a thick, cake-like pastry layer
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with cobbler
All rhymes →Anagrams
Cite this entry
cobbler. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cobbler
“cobbler.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cobbler. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “cobbler,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cobbler.
Source: cobbler on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.