Brickyard

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A facility where clay is molded, fired, and processed into bricks for construction
2. An industrial site where raw materials are shaped and kiln-baked to produce bricks in large quantities
3. A works or factory specializing in the production of bricks for building purposes

Etymology: A brickyard is about as plain as compounds get: a yard where bricks are made, from "brick" joined to "yard," the enclosed piece of ground that gave the second half its name. The compound describes the place by its function, so the word needs little unpacking beyond its two parts. "Yard" has a broader history than its modern use suggests. It descends from an old Germanic word for an enclosure, and English long applied it to fenced ground of many kinds, from farmyards to the grounds around a building. Pairing it with "brick" simply names an enclosure given over to brickmaking, with the clay dug, shaped, and fired on site.

Synonyms: brick factory, brick kiln