Workshop

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈwɜːk.ʃɒp/

Definitions

1. A room or building where items are created or fixed ; an organized event where people gather to learn or discuss a topic
2. A space equipped for crafting, repairing, or assembling materials ; a session for group study, training, or collaborative discussion
3. A facility used by craftsmen or technicians for making or mending objects ; a meeting designed to teach skills or share knowledge through interactive participation

Etymology: "Workshop" is about as transparent as English compounds get: "work" plus "shop," with the sense of a room or building where things are made. The two parts have older and more varied lives than the compound itself. "Shop" comes from Old English "sceoppa," a word for a booth or stall, and for centuries a shop was a place where goods were sold rather than made. The making happened elsewhere, which is why a "workshop" once had to specify that its work took place in a space set apart from the retail counter. The reversal is the interesting part. Over time "shop" came to mean the place of manufacture itself, so the two words in "workshop" ended up describing the same activity from opposite directions: the work is done, and the shop is where it is done. The compound simply names a place where labour and production share one roof.

Synonyms: studio, laboratory, workplace