A place where grinding is done; historically, a workshop where shoemakers' materials like leather were prepared and processed.
From 'grinder' (one who grinds) plus '-ery' suffix (place where something is done), similar to 'bakery' or 'brewery.' The term specifically refers to 19th-century London shoemaking workshops.
If you read Victorian literature and see 'grindery,' it's usually a sign the author is writing about the poorest parts of London—Dickens and other 19th-century writers used it to describe the cramped, grimy workshops where working-class people made their living.
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