-ery

Origin

From Anglo-Norman and Old French -erie, a suffix forming abstract nouns.

The suffix first occurs in loans from Old French into Middle English, but becomes productive within English by the 16th century, in some instances properly a combination of -er with -y as in bakery, brewery, but also as a single suffix in terms like slavery, machinery.

Full definition of -ery

Suffix

1. Trade or craft ofjoinery; cookery
2. Place ofbakery; distillery
3. Class or group, collection ofhosiery; shrubbery
4. Characteristic ofsnobbery; tomfoolery

Synonyms

• (activity) -ing
• (collection) -age, -ing

Related terms

• -ry

Derived terms