fac·to·ry (f?k?t?-r?)n. pl. fac·to·ries 1. a. A building or group of buildings in which goods are manufactured; a plant.b. See factory ship.2. A business establishment for commercial agents or factors in a foreign country.3. The source of prolific production: a rock group that was a hit-tune factory; a motel that served as an illegal drug factory.[Late Latin fact?ria, oil press, mill, and Medieval Latin fact?ria, establishment for factors, both from Latin factor, factor; see factor.]American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.factory (?fækt?r?) n, pl -ries1. (Commerce) a. a building or group of buildings containing a plant assembly for the manufacture of goodsb. (as modifier): a factory worker. 2. (Commerce) rare a trading station maintained by factors in a foreign country3. Canadian (formerly) a main trading station for the exchange and transshipment of furs[C16: from Late Latin factorium; see factor] ?factory-?like adjCollins English Dictionary ? Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014fac?to?ry (?fæk t? ri, -tri) n., pl. -ries. 1. a building or group of buildings with facilities for the manufacture of goods. 2. (formerly) an establishment in a foreign country where factors carried on their business. [1550?60; factor, + -y3] fac?to?ry?like`, adj. Random House Kernerman Webster’s College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.factory – Originally a place where traders did their business in another country, based on Latin factorium, “an oil press” (for olive oil).See also related terms for olive oil.Farlex Trivia Dictionary. © 2012 Farlex, Inc. All rights reserved.Factory a body of factors, or workers, 1702.Dictionary of Collective Nouns and Group Terms. Copyright 2008 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.factory – works – mill – plant1. ‘factory’A building where machines are used to make things is usually called a factory.A place where things are made or where an industrial process takes place can also be called a works. A works can consist of several buildings and may include outdoor equipment and machinery.After works you can use either a singular or plural form of a verb.A building where a particular material is made is often called a mill.A building where chemicals are produced is called a chemical plant.A power station can also be referred to as a plant.Manufacture refers to the process of making goods using machines. Manufacture is an uncountable noun.Don’t use ‘manufacture’ to refer to a building where machines are used to make things. Use factory.