-ery Suffixes

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-ery

-ery or-ry, suffix. 

-ery or -ry is used to form nouns that refer to

  • things in a collection:
  • green + -ery → greenery (= green plants as a group);
  • machine + -ery → machinery (= a group or collection of machines).
  • people in a collection:
  • Jew + -ry → Jewry (= Jews as a group);
  • peasant + -ry → peasantry (= peasants as a group).
  • an occupation, activity, or condition:
  • dentist + -ry → dentistry (= occupation of a dentist);
  • rival + -ry → rivalry (= condition of being a rival);
    rob + -ery → robbery (= activity of robbing or being robbed)
  • .

-ery is also used to form nouns that refer to a place where the activity of the root is done:

bake + -ery →bakery (= place where baking is done);

wine + -ery → winery (= place where wine is made).

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2020

-ery, 

a suffix of nouns denoting occupation, business, calling or condition, place or establishment, goods or products, things collectively, qualities, actions, etc.:

archery;

cutlery;

fishery;

trickery;

witchery.

  •  Old French -erie, equivalent. to -ier -er2 + -ie -y3
  •  Middle English

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

-ery, -ry

suffix forming nouns

  1. indicating a place of business or some other activity: bakery, brewery, refinery
  2. indicating a class or collection of things: cutlery, greenery
  3. indicating qualities or actions collectively: snobbery, trickery
  4. indicating a practice or occupation: husbandry
  5. indicating a state or condition: slavery

Etymology: from Old French -erie; see -er1, -y³

‘-ery‘ also found in these entries:

-ry – American Antislavery Society – Bowery – Chinese cabbage – ad hockery – antimachinery – antipopery – apery – armory – artillery – baboonery – bakery – ballerina – baptistery – barratry – battery – bawdry – beanery – bewitch – bijouterie – bindery – bitchery – bleachery – bloomery – boiserie – bootery – botch – bowery – brasserie – bravery – breech delivery – brewery – bribery – brier – buttery – cajolery – camaraderie – cannery – carvery – cash on delivery – catchpole – cattery – causerie – celery cabbage – celery salt – chantry – charcuterie – chicanery – chinoiserie – chirurgery