cottage industry

noun

|Updated on: 16 Jun 2018

Examples: cottage industry in a Sentence

Definition of cottage industry

1 : an industry whose labor force consists of family units or individuals working at home with their own equipment

2 : a small and often informally organized industry

3 : a limited but enthusiastically pursued activity or subject

this debate about sex and law became a cottage industry for feminist academics
—Wendy Kaminer

See cottage industry defined for English-language learners

Examples of cottage industry in a Sentence

weaving, pottery, and other cottage industries

Recent Examples of cottage industry from the Web

From an unthinkable double-bogey collapse on the final hole in 2006 at Winged Foot to the double-bogey on the 71st hole here at Shinnecock in 2004, Mickelson has made a cottage industry of finishing second.

— tara sullivan, BostonGlobe.com, "Would a US Open win mean more to Tiger Woods or Phil Mickelson?," 12 June 2018
The style has sold out tens of times on Le Specs’s site and spawned a cottage industry of knockoffs.

— steff yotka, Vogue, "Adam Selman and Le Specs Are Here to Change the Shape of Your Sunglasses—Again," 5 June 2018
That firm created a cottage industry that thrives to this day.

— andy staples, SI.com, "Mike Slive’s SEC Accomplishments Were Only Part of a Life Filled With Victories," 16 May 2018
But NBC News found a cottage industry of websites where doctors are willing to write letters certifying that a traveler would benefit from having an emotional support animal, or ESA, during the flight.

— NBC News, "Goats? No. Miniature ponies? Maybe: American Airlines debuts new emotional support animal policy," 15 May 2018
Workplace shootings have fueled a cottage industry of security consultants who show employees how to manage panic, when to run or hide, and how to fight as a last resort.

— tiffany hsu and jack nicas, New York Times, "YouTube Shooting Puts a Focus on Workplace Security," 5 Apr. 2018
Such concerns have spawned a cottage industry of stickers and accessories for concealing laptop cameras.

— lisa eadicicco, Time, "Lenovo's New Laptops Have a Really Smart Feature if You're Concerned About Webcam Privacy," 9 Jan. 2018
Kiper and McShay make a year-round cottage industry of their mock drafts.

— greg cote, miamiherald, "Ready for a shock? Check out the pick for the Miami Dolphins | Miami Herald," 25 Apr. 2018
Yet the search for returnees has spurred a thriving cottage industry.

— david ramli, The Seattle Times, "Chinese tech workers abandon American dream for brighter future back home," 14 Jan. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'cottage industry.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of cottage industry

1921

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

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