workhouse
noun
a house of correction.
workhouses
-
pluralof workhouse.plural
The grammatical form denoting more than one person, place, thing, or idea.
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.
An extensive report into mother and baby institutions, Magdalene Laundries and workhouses in Northern Ireland will be published on Tuesday.
From BBC ● Jul. 7, 2026
An apology is also expected in Northern Ireland but not until after a public inquiry has been carried out, following a recommendation from a 2021 report on mother and baby institutions, Magdalene laundries and workhouses.
From Barron's ● Jul. 2, 2026
The children came from parish workhouses, some orphans, some just abandoned, and they lived in a dormitory next to the mill and served as “apprentices,” working 70-hour weeks in a Dickensian life of indentured servitude.
From Washington Post ● Dec. 1, 2022
The Anatomy Act 1832 sought to quell grave robbing and the outcry by establishing a new legal source of bodies; the unclaimed from workhouses, hospitals and prisons, as well as by making body donation legal.
From Scientific American ● Oct. 7, 2022
Erasmus and his circle debated the Poor Laws, which were shunting the destitute into workhouses; they discussed the need for social reform.
From "Charles and Emma: The Darwins' Leap of Faith" by Deborah Heiligman
