workhouse
/ˈwɜrkˌhaʊs/
noun
- A building where poor people in the past lived and did jobs in exchange for food and shelter, especially in 19th-century Britain.
- In the 1800s, many families feared being sent to the workhouse.
- The old workhouse has been turned into a museum.
- Life in the workhouse was harsh, with long hours and little food.