factory

Compared meaning: a building where goods are made (noun).

比较义项：工厂（n.）。

• factory 本词

  The general, modern word for any building where goods are manufactured with machines; used across almost any industry, e.g. car factory, shoe factory, toy factory.

  泛指用机器制造商品的建筑物，是现代通用说法，几乎可用于任何行业，例如汽车工厂、鞋厂、玩具厂。

  The car factory hired hundreds of new workers this year.

  这家汽车工厂今年招聘了数百名新工人。

• mill

  A more specific, often older-sounding word for a factory that processes raw materials such as grain, cotton, steel or paper; usually forms a compound with the material.

  更为具体、常带有传统色彩的说法，指加工原材料（如谷物、棉花、钢铁、纸张）的工厂，通常与原料名词构成复合词。

  Grandpa used to work at the cotton mill in the next town.

  爷爷以前在邻镇的棉纺厂工作。

Factory and mill both mean a place where goods are made. Factory is the general, modern word for any industry. Mill is more specific, for a factory that processes raw materials like grain, cotton, or steel. Mill's verb sense, to grind, is not compared.

factory 和 mill 都指用机器大量生产商品的场所，但 factory 是通用的现代说法，几乎适用于任何行业；mill 更偏向传统上加工原材料（谷物、棉花、钢铁、纸张等）的工厂，常与具体原料连用构成复合词。这里不比较 mill 作动词表示“碾磨”的用法。