Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

Carpenter \Car"pen*ter\, n. [OF. carpentier, F. charpentier, LL.
   carpentarius, fr. L. carpentum wagon, carriage.]
   An artificer who works in timber; a framer and builder of
   houses, ships, etc.

   Syn: {Carpenter}, {Joiner}.

   Usage: The carpenter frames and puts together roofs,
          partitions, floors, and other structural parts of a
          building. The joiner supplies stairs, doors shutters,
          mantelpieces, cupboards, and other parts necessary to
          finishing the building. In America the two trades are
          commonly united.

   {Carpenter ant} (Zo["o]l.), any species of ant which gnaws
      galleries in the wood of trees and constructs its nests
      therein. They usually select dead or somewhat decayed
      wood. The common large American species is {Formica
      Pennsylvanica}.

   {Carpenter bee} (Zo["o]l.), a large hymenopterous insect of
      the genus {Xylocopa}; -- so called because it constructs
      its nest by gnawing long galleries in sound timber. The
      common American species is {Xylocopa Virginica}.

Source : WordNet®

carpenter bee
     n : large solitary bee that lays eggs in tunnels bored into wood
         or plant stems