v. man·u·fac·tured, man·u·fac·tur·ing, man·u·fac·tures v.tr. 1. a. To make or process (a raw material) into a finished product, especially by means of a large-scale industrial operation. b. To make or process (a product), especially with the use of industrial machines. 2. To create, produce, or turn out in a mechanical manner: "His books seem to have been manufactured rather than composed" (Dwight Macdonald). 3. To concoct or invent; fabricate: manufacture an excuse. v.intr. To make or process goods, especially in large quantities and by means of industrial machines. n. 1. a. The act, craft, or process of manufacturing products, especially on a large scale. b. An industry in which mechanical power and machinery are employed. 2. A product that is manufactured. 3. The making or producing of something. [From French, manufacture, from Old French, from Medieval Latin *manūfactūra : Latin manū, ablative of manus, hand; see man-2 in the Appendix of Indo-European roots + Latin factūra, working of a metal, from factus, past participle of facere, to make; see dhē- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.] man′u·factur·a·ble adj. man′u·factur·al adj. man′u·factur·ing n. |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.