workhouse
n.a building where poor people were forced to live and work in exchange for food and shelter. It was common in the past, especially in the UK, for people who had no money.
n.an institution providing shelter and employment for the poor, typically in a highly regulated and punitive environment. Historically associated with the English Poor Law system of the 19th century.
“The poor were sent to the workhouse to survive.”
“In Victorian England, families who could not pay their rent were often forced to live in the workhouse.”
“The novel explores the harsh realities of the workhouse, where the impoverished were subjected to grueling labor and strict discipline in exchange for minimal sustenance.”
From Middle English werkhous, from Old English weorchūs (“workshop, place of manufacture”), from Proto-Germanic *werkahūsą, equivalent to work + house.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.