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Meaning & use

the cottage industry

noun·Advanced

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UK/ðə ˈkɒtɪdʒ ˌɪndəstri/
US/ðə ˈkɑːtɪdʒ ˌɪndəstri/

Meanings

  1. nounsingular

    A system of making goods at home by hand, before factories became common.

    Grammar: Usually used with 'the' for the whole system: the cottage industry grew in rural areas.

    Patterns

    • the cottage industry
    • work in the cottage industry

    Before the Industrial Revolution, weaving was part of the cottage industry.

    The cottage industry allowed families to earn money without leaving their homes.

    Historians study how the cottage industry slowly gave way to factory production.

  2. nouncountable

    A small business or activity done at home, often by one person or a family.

    Grammar: Can be used with 'a' for one such business: she runs a cottage industry making candles.

    Patterns

    • run a cottage industry
    • a cottage industry in something

    Baking sourdough at home turned into a cottage industry for her.

    Many people in the village started a cottage industry selling handmade baskets.

    The new law makes it easier to run a cottage industry from your kitchen.

Word forms

pluralcottage industries

Common combinations

part of the cottage industry
Spinning wool was part of the cottage industry in many regions.
a cottage industry grew
A cottage industry grew around the production of cheese.
run a cottage industry
They run a cottage industry from their garage.
the decline of the cottage industry
The decline of the cottage industry changed village life forever.

Synonyms and how they differ

home-based business
This is a modern term for any business run from home, not specifically the historical system.
domestic industry
Similar but broader; it can include any work done in the home, not just making goods.

Opposites

factory systemmass production

Word family

cottage noun
A small house, especially in the countryside.
cottager noun
A person who lives in a cottage.

Commonly confused: the cottage industry or cottage garden?

the cottage industry vs cottage garden

A cottage garden is a style of garden with informal planting, not an industry.

Practice

The production of cloth in people's homes before factories is an example of ______.

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