work camp

American  

noun

1. a camp for prisoners sentenced to labor, especially to outdoor labor such as roadbuilding or farming.

2. a volunteer project in which members of a church, service organization, etc., work together in aid of some worthy cause.

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work camp British  

noun

1. a camp set up for young people who voluntarily do manual work on a worthwhile project

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Etymology

Origin of work camp

First recorded in 1930–35

Example Sentences

In 1994, he faced a three-year sentence in a juvenile work camp until Boyle intervened.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 21, 2024

Surge Enterprises has an exciting new assignment for Ben at a work camp, where he’ll be farming words for future newsletter editions.

From Slate • Jan. 13, 2024

Lin gets away with the loot, but in a betrayal akin to “The Count of Monte Cristo,” Qian Lu turns on his friend, causing Lin to be sentenced to life at a grueling work camp.

From New York Times • Apr. 21, 2023

Critics of the demolition, who have included former Prime Minister Andrej Babis, argue Lety was not a concentration camp but a work camp.

From BBC • Jul. 22, 2022

They had said that it was only a work camp.

From "The Light in Hidden Places" by Sharon Cameron