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
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
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Time Traveler for cottage industry
The first known use of cottage industry was in 1849
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