fac·to·ry / ˈfakt(ə)rē/ • n. (pl. -ries) 1. a building or group of buildings where goods are manufactured or assembled chiefly by machine. ∎  fig. a person, group, or institution that produces a great quantity of something on a regular basis or in a short space of time: a huge factory of lying, slander, and bad English.2. hist. an establishment for traders carrying on business in a foreign country.

factory
A. factorship, agency (Sc.) XVI;

B. merchant company's trading station XVI;

C. manufactory, works XVII. prob. of mixed orig.; in A repr. medL. factōria (see FACTOR, -Y3); in B repr. Pg. feitoria ( = It. fattoria, Sp. factoria, F. †factorie); in C, ult. — late L. factōrium (recorded in the sense ‘oil-press’).

Factory

a body of factors, or workers, 1702.