wheelcraft en · NOUN
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *kʷelh₁-redup. Proto-Indo-European *-os Proto-Indo-European *kʷekʷléh₂ Proto-Germanic *hweulō Old English hwēol Middle English whel English wheel Proto-Germanic *krafjaną Proto-Indo-European *-tus Proto-Germanic *-þuz Proto-Germanic *kraftuz Proto-West Germanic *kraftu Old English cræft Old English -cræft Middle English -craft English -craft English wheelcraft From wheel + -craft.
Meanings
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(uncountable) The art or skill of making and repairing wheels, or of riding on wheels.
The vehicles which they provided on such occasions for land carriage were curiosities of wheelcraft—I speak of the Jersey wagons. The old-fashioned Jersey wagon has, years ago, given place to more showy and flexible vehicles […]
1876, William W. Fowler, Women on the American Frontier, page 155:"How did you happen to fall?" I asked — not that I needed to inquire, for my own knowledge of wheelcraft assured me that she had tumbled simply because she did not know how to ride.
1900, Frank R. Stockton, A Bicycle of Cathay:Perhaps the Darlaston company's spoked disc wheel is the one item which invites particular attention first, for it certainly represents good wheelcraft where strength without clumsiness is desired.
1935, Municipal Journal (volume 44, part 4, page 2036)[…] some households acquired bullock-carts which required a better breed of bullocks than were locally available, better wheelcraft than the village blacksmith-cum-carpenter could provide, iron rims for the wheels, and so on […]
1986, Arvind N. Das, The Longue Duree, page 24: