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factory

n. · adj.
US //ˈfæktɝi// UK //fˈæktəɹˌi// fac·to·ry
  1. 1 manufacturing building (n.)
    A2 Elementary

    a large building where machines are used to make goods in large numbers.

    a building or group of buildings where goods are manufactured or assembled by machines.

    Example

    The car factory employs thousands of people from the local town.

    Example

    The textile factory underwent a massive renovation to accommodate the new automated looms and improve energy efficiency.
  2. 2 software object creator (n.)
    C1 Advanced Technical Computing

    a part of a computer program that creates new objects for the code to use.

    a function, method, or class designed to create and return instances of other objects, often to hide complex instantiation logic.

    Example

    The developer used a factory to create different types of user profiles.

    Example

    Implementing a factory pattern allowed the software to instantiate various document types without the client code needing to know the specific subclasses.

    Usage

    Often used in the phrase 'factory pattern' or 'factory method'.
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  1. 3 historical trading post (n.)
    C2 Proficiency Archaic

    a place in a foreign country where merchants used to trade goods in the past.

    an early modern trading station or establishment, typically located in a foreign territory and managed by a factor.

    Example

    The company established a factory on the coast to trade spices and silk.

    Example

    The eighteenth-century factory served as both a warehouse for exported goods and a fortified residence for the company's agents.
  2. 4 police station (n.)
    C1 Advanced British English Slang

    a slang word for a police station.

    a slang term for a police station, primarily used within certain urban dialects.

    Example

    The detective spent all night at the factory finishing his paperwork.

    Example

    Word on the street was that the suspect had already been taken down to the factory for questioning.
  3. 5 original state (adj.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Informal

    describing something that is exactly as it was when it was first made.

    referring to the original, unmodified state of a product as delivered by the manufacturer.

    Example

    I prefer the factory settings on my phone because they are easy to use.

    Example

    The car was kept in factory condition, with no aftermarket modifications to the engine or the interior trim.

    Usage

    Usually placed before the noun.
Origin

From factor + y. Compare Middle French factorie; Spanish factoría, Portuguese feitoria, Dutch factorij.

Idioms3 entries

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