Definitions for factory
ˈfæk tə ri, -trifac·to·ry

Princeton's WordNet(3.50 / 4 votes)Rate this definition:

1. factory, mill, manufacturing plant, manufactory(noun)

   a plant consisting of one or more buildings with facilities for manufacturing

Wiktionary(2.75 / 4 votes)Rate this definition:

1. factory(Noun)

   A trading establishment, especially set up by merchants working in a foreign country.

   Etymology: From factoria, from factor. Probably via a Romance language; compare Italian fattoria, Spanish factoría, Portuguese feitoria.

2. factory(Noun)

   The position or state of being a factor.

   Etymology: From factoria, from factor. Probably via a Romance language; compare Italian fattoria, Spanish factoría, Portuguese feitoria.

3. factory(Noun)

   A building or other place where manufacturing takes place.

   Etymology: From factoria, from factor. Probably via a Romance language; compare Italian fattoria, Spanish factoría, Portuguese feitoria.

4. factory(Noun)

   A device which produces or manufactures something.

   Etymology: From factoria, from factor. Probably via a Romance language; compare Italian fattoria, Spanish factoría, Portuguese feitoria.

5. factory(Noun)

   In a computer program or library, a function or method which creates an object.

   Etymology: From factoria, from factor. Probably via a Romance language; compare Italian fattoria, Spanish factoría, Portuguese feitoria.

Webster Dictionary(4.00 / 1 vote)Rate this definition:

1. Factory(noun)

   a house or place where factors, or commercial agents, reside, to transact business for their employers

   Etymology: [Cf. F. factorerie.]

2. Factory(noun)

   the body of factors in any place; as, a chaplain to a British factory

   Etymology: [Cf. F. factorerie.]

3. Factory(noun)

   a building, or collection of buildings, appropriated to the manufacture of goods; the place where workmen are employed in fabricating goods, wares, or utensils; a manufactory; as, a cotton factory

   Etymology: [Cf. F. factorerie.]

Freebase(5.00 / 2 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Factory

   A factory or manufacturing plant is an industrial site, usually consisting of buildings and machinery, or more commonly a complex having several buildings, where workers manufacture goods or operate machines processing one product into another. Factories arose with the introduction of machinery during the Industrial Revolution when the capital and space requirements became too great for cottage industry or workshops. Early factories that contained small amounts of machinery, such as one or two spinning mules, and fewer than a dozen workers have been called "glorified workshops. Most modern factories have large warehouses or warehouse-like facilities that contain heavy equipment used for assembly line production. Large factories tend to be located with access to multiple modes of transportation, with some having rail, highway and water loading and unloading facilities. Factories may either make discrete products or some type of material continuously produced such as chemicals, pulp and paper or refined oil products. Factories manufacturing chemicals are often called plants and may have most of their equipment, consisting of tanks, pressure vessels, chemical reactors and pumps and piping located outdoors and are operated by personnel in control rooms. Oil refineries are similar to chemical plants in that most equipment is outdoors.

Dictionary of Nautical Terms(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. factory

   A place where a considerable number of factors reside; as Lisbon, Leghorn, Calcutta, &c. Factory comprehends the business of a firm or company, as that of the India Company at Canton, or the Hudson's Bay Fur Company in North America.

Editors Contribution(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. factory

   A type of building and property created and designed for a specific purpose.

   The factory was located near the village.

   Submitted by MaryC on March 2, 2020  

Suggested Resources(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. factory

   The factory symbol -- In this Symbols.com article you will learn about the meaning of the factory symbol and its characteristic.

British National Corpus

1. Spoken Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'factory' in Spoken Corpus Frequency: #2314

2. Written Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'factory' in Written Corpus Frequency: #1900

3. Nouns Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'factory' in Nouns Frequency: #747

How to pronounce factory?

1. 

   Alex

   US English

   

   Daniel

   British

   

   Karen

   Australian

   

   Veena

   Indian

How to say factory in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of factory in Chaldean Numerology is: 8

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of factory in Pythagorean Numerology is: 7

Examples of factory in a Sentence

1. Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian:

   There was a strike yesterday on an oil distribution centre and last night we have hit another oil distribution centre and a gas separation factory.

2. John Lyon:

   That's happening right now, post-Ebola, they're moving into their factory space right now. That's a sign that Sierra Leone can recover.

3. Chuck Schumer:

   We’re facing a situation where anyone—a felon, a terrorist—can open a gun factory in their garage and the weapons they make will be undetectable. It’s stomach-churning.

4. Jean-Dominique Senard:

   I have no intention of closing the Maubeuge factory.

5. Eufracia Taylor:

   The factory fire is a blow to the Aquino administration, which has prided itself on improving workplace conditions and prioritizing compliance with labor standards.

Images & Illustrations of factory

Popularity rank by frequency of use