tradesman

From trade +‎ -s- +‎ -man.

tradesman (plural tradesmen)

1. A skilled manual worker (implied male).
2. (dated) A manual worker (implied male) who visits private premises to perform his job.

   Tradesmen should use the rear entrance.

3. (dated) One who works in trade (commerce); a shopkeeper.
   • 1861, Charles Dickens, Great Expectations:

     After this memorable event, I went to the hatter's, and the bootmaker's, and the hosier's, and felt rather like Mother Hubbard's dog whose outfit required the services of so many trades. […] It was not necessary to explain everywhere that I had come into a handsome property; but whenever I said anything to that effect, it followed that the officiating tradesman ceased to have his attention diverted through the window by the High-street, and concentrated his mind upon me.

   • 1932, Dorothy L. Sayers, chapter II, in Have His Carcase:

     During the morning she had seen several people and quite a number (comparatively) of tradesmen’s vans.

• tradeswoman

• skilled worker
• tradesperson
• (Australia, colloquial) tradie

• maned rats