foundry

American  

[foun-dree] / ˈfaʊn dri /

noun

• foundries
  plural

1. an establishment for producing castings in molten metal.

2. the act or process of founding or casting metal.

3. the category of metal objects made by founding; castings.

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foundry British  

/ ˈfaʊndrɪ /

noun

1. a place in which metal castings are produced

2. the science or practice of casting metal

3. cast-metal articles collectively

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• foundries
  plural

Etymology

Origin of foundry

From the French word fonderie, dating back to 1595–1605. See found ³, -ery

Explanation

A factory that makes things out of hot metal poured into molds is called a foundry. Many of the ordinary objects in your life have parts that were produced in a foundry. The small metal parts that are needed in everything from trucks and cars to refrigerators, lawnmowers, and airplanes, are known as castings. These castings, used in a wide variety of everyday machines, systems, and appliances, are made in a foundry, where hot molten metal is poured into a mold and allowed to harden. Some foundries are distinguished specifically for what they produce, like a type foundry, which makes typefaces for printing presses.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

foundry foundries

In May, the Department of Commerce announced it will support IBM with a $1 billion award, which will go toward a new quantum foundry called Anderon.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 8, 2026

China’s biggest chip foundry recorded a surge in net profit and revenue in the second quarter, cashing in on robust orders for legacy and specialty semiconductors.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026

The company's HBM business is also "driving a significantly positive impact on their foundry business as well", MS Hwang, an analyst at investment firm Counterpoint, told AFP.

From Barron's ● Jul. 30, 2026

M’Saad said logic and foundry customers—those seeking to produce the integrated circuits that power smartphones, computers and other electronic devices—had fueled growth in the second quarter.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026

There was no scent of foundry runoff in this water, so we drank and I topped off my water bottle.

From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss

The stronger-than-expected results come as non-AI sectors are dealing with a severe semiconductor shortage as global foundries increasingly prioritize capacity for AI-related demand.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026

"Because SiC is already used globally in electric vehicles and power grids, we can leverage existing industrial foundries to manufacture these cryogenic chips on 300-mm wafers."

From Science Daily ● Jun. 12, 2026

Historically, suburbs such as Hodge Hill, Shard End and Castle Bromwich were built around a strong manufacturing base, but the long-term decline of factories and foundries has reshaped the local economy.

From BBC ● Jun. 7, 2026

At the same time, leading-edge chip making will continue to face supply constraints due to capital requirements and the time needed to develop foundries, they said.

From MarketWatch ● May 28, 2026

She told him about the fortress, about the allies, about the angels, about the mines and the foundries.

From "The Amber Spyglass" by Philip Pullman