late 14c., "one who makes by art or skill," agent noun from artifice. Especially an inventor of devious artifices (c. 1600). The military sense of "soldier-mechanic" dates from 1758.
Entries linking to artificer
artifice n.
1530s, "workmanship, the making of something by craft or skill," from French artifice "skill, cunning" (14c.), from Latin artificium "a profession, trade, employment, craft; a making by art; a work of art," from artifex (genitive artificis) "craftsman, artist, master of an art" (music, acting, sculpting, etc.), from stem of ars "art" (see art (n.)) + facere "to make, do" (from PIE root *dhe- "to set, put"). The meaning "crafty device, trick" is from 1650s.