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workshop

Etymology and origin of the English word workshop

History Permalink
Confidence
Established
Formation
Compound
First attested
1556

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ˈwɜːk.ʃɒp/ (UK); /ˈwɝk.ʃɑp/ (US)[1]

Etymology

It is formed from work and shop.[2][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

A room or building where manual or industrial work is done: 1582 in the OED, the 1580s in Etymonline;[4][2] MWU dates it to 1556.[5]

Semantic evolution

Figurative uses are from 1562.[4] A meeting for discussion, study or experiment, originally in education or the arts, is by 1937.[2][4] The verb, to present a workshop performance of a play, is from 1973.[4]

Timeline

  • 1556 – first use (MWU).[5]
  • 1582 – a place of work.[4]
  • 1937 – a discussion meeting.[2][4]
  • 1973 – the verb.[4]

Modern meaning

Noun

  1. A room or building in which goods are made or repaired.
  2. A meeting at which a group of people discuss and work on a subject or project.

Verb

  1. To present a play in a workshop performance to develop it.

Word family

  • postworkshop
  • workshopper
  • sheltered workshop

References

  1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  3. ^ Shorter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles (2002), 5th ed., ed. William R. Trumble and Angus Stevenson, Oxford: Oxford University Press
  4. ^ a b c d e f g Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
  5. ^ a b Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
Cite this entry

“Workshop.” Etymologically, 16 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/en/workshop. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·