fac ‧ to ‧ ry S2 W2 /ˈfækt ə ri/ BrE AmE noun ( plural factories ) [countable]
[ Date: 1500-1600 ; Language: Medieval Latin ; Origin: factoria , from Latin factor ; ⇨ ↑ factor 1 ]
a building or group of buildings in which goods are produced in large quantities, using machines:
a car factory
factory workers
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COLLOCATIONS
■ NOUN + factory
▪ a car/textile/shoe etc factory
There is a large car factory where many of the local people work.
■ factory + NOUN
▪ a factory worker
The factory workers are threatening to go on strike.
▪ a factory owner
The factory owner placed a large order for some new equipment.
▪ a factory manager
He held the position of factory manager.
▪ a factory inspector (=an official whose job is to check that laws or rules related to factories are being obeyed)
Factory inspectors reported that safety precautions had been ignored.
▪ the factory gates (=the entrance to a factory)
A crowd of protesters had gathered outside the factory gates.
■ verbs
▪ open a factory
The company has just opened a new factory in Swindon.
▪ close/shut (down) a factory
The factory was closed down in 2006.
▪ work in a factory
Donna works in a shoe factory.
▪ a factory produces/makes something
The factory produces an incredible 100 cars per hour.
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THESAURUS
▪ factory a building or group of buildings in which goods are produced in large quantities, using machines:
She works in a chocolate factory.
|
a clothing factory
▪ plant a large factory where cars, chemicals, or energy is produced:
Local residents are protesting about the new nuclear power plant.
|
a car plant
|
a nuclear power plant
▪ facility a factory. Facility is often used instead of factory in business English:
The new production facility is one of the most up-to-date in the area.
▪ works used in the following compounds to describe a factory that produces a particular thing: a steelworks/ironworks/brickworks/a chemical/cement works/a printing works
▪ mill a factory that produces paper, cotton, or cloth:
a paper mill
|
The textile mill has been converted into luxury flats.
▪ shipyard a place where ships are built or repaired:
The vessel was built in the Kobe shipyard.
▪ foundry a factory where metal is made into things using ↑ mould s :
Mandela’s statue was cast here in a local foundry.
▪ sweatshop disapproving a small factory where people work hard in bad conditions for very little money:
The company was fined for selling goods produced in sweatshops.