Cannery
/ˈkænəri/noun
A factory where food is canned and preserved in metal containers.
Did you know?The word ultimately comes from Latin *canna* (“reed, cane, tube”), the same ancient root behind words for hollow stalks and tubular things, which is why the “can” in canned food is historically about the container’s shape, not the contents.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*kan-
“to bend, curve, or be hollow”
Latin
Latin
canna
“reed, cane, hollow stalk”
Old French
Old French
cane
“cane, reed”
Early Modern English
English
can
“a metal container for food or drink”
19th Century
English
cannery
“a place where food is packed into cans”