workhouse

noun

work·​house ˈwərk-ˌhau̇s How to pronounce workhouse (audio)
1
British : poorhouse
2
: a house of correction for persons guilty of minor law violations

Examples of workhouse in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
One memory that British guitarist Steve Hackett has of making Genesis’ 1974 masterpiece, The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway, occurred when the band was working at Headley Grange, an 18th-century workhouse in Hampshire, England. David Chiu, Forbes.com, 9 June 2025 The team tested ten different approaches on 200-year-old human brain tissue recovered from Bristol’s former Blackberry Hill Hospital, once a Victorian workhouse and originally a prison for 18th-century war captives. Jenny Lehmann, Discover Magazine, 30 May 2025 This conviction underlay the Victorian workhouses in 19th-century England that Charles Dickens critiqued through his novels. Colin Gordon, The Conversation, 29 May 2025 Once feeding time is finished, this workhouse wonder can serve as a stroller blanket or generously sized scarf. Pamela Brill, Parents, 22 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for workhouse

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of workhouse was in the 15th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Workhouse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/workhouse. Accessed 14 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

workhouse

noun
work·​house ˈwərk-ˌhau̇s How to pronounce workhouse (audio)
1
British : poorhouse
2
: a place where persons who have committed minor wrongdoings are kept

Legal Definition

workhouse

noun
work·​house
: a correctional facility for persons guilty of minor criminal violations

More from Merriam-Webster on workhouse

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!