foundry

C1 Topic:Materials & Substances

US /ˈfaʊn.dɹi/ UK /ˈfaʊndri/ See IPA manual

Freq #26383

Meanings

1

noun
a factory or workshop where metal is melted and poured into molds to make cast objects

The foundry cast the iron parts in reusable sand molds.
2

noun
a plant that manufactures semiconductor chips, especially for other companies that design them

The chip designer contracted a foundry to manufacture the new processor.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · a factory or workshop where... metalworkscasting works

2 noun · a plant that manufactures... semiconductor fabfab

Word family

Derived forms foundrymanfoundrywoman

Related forms foundry workercasting furnace moldfabrication plant

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

iron foundry
a factory where iron is melted and cast into shapes

Noun + noun

Etymology

Borrowed from French fonderie, from fondre, 'to melt or cast,' ultimately from Latin fundere, 'to pour.' It is also transparent in English as found, the metalworking verb 'to melt and cast,' + -ry, a suffix for a place or process. The semiconductor sense extends the manufacturing-place idea.

Topics

Materials & Substances Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# foundry

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C1
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /ˈfaʊn.dɹi/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈfaʊndri/
**Frequency rank:** 26383

## Meanings
1. a factory or workshop where metal is melted and poured into molds to make cast objects
2. a plant that manufactures semiconductor chips, especially for other companies that design them

## Examples
- The foundry cast the iron parts in reusable sand molds.
- The chip designer contracted a foundry to manufacture the new processor.

## Synonyms
- metalworks
- casting works
- semiconductor fab
- fab

## Derived Forms
- foundryman
- foundrywoman

## Related Forms
- foundry worker
- casting
- furnace
- mold
- fabrication plant

## Etymology
Borrowed from French fonderie, from fondre, 'to melt or cast,' ultimately from Latin fundere, 'to pour.' It is also transparent in English as found, the metalworking verb 'to melt and cast,' + -ry, a suffix for a place or process. The semiconductor sense extends the manufacturing-place idea.

## Topics
- Materials & Substances
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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