cottage industry
Americannoun
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the production, for sale, of goods at home, as the making of handicrafts by rural families.
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any small-scale, loosely organized industry.
noun
Etymology
Origin of cottage industry
First recorded in 1920–25
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
In China, a cottage industry has sprung up to ensure the shadow fleet stays operational and delivers its oil to refineries.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 28, 2026
A whole cottage industry has also developed online to advise landlords how to flip rental properties.
From BBC ● May 20, 2026
Gorka’s path to the White House began in the cottage industry of self-styled terrorism experts that sprang up after the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
From Salon ● Apr. 22, 2026
The complex and time-consuming ordeal has even spawned a cottage industry of consultants to help people navigate it.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 13, 2026
Daniel and Moses thought they were paying a courtesy call on a cottage industry, but the cottage was a castle.
From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
