1. Place or Activity:
* Place where something is made or sold: bakery, fishery, brewery, winery
* Place where something is done or stored: armory, pottery, library, stationery
* Place associated with a specific occupation or activity: attorney, dentistry, history, robbery
2. Quality or State:
* Characteristic or condition: bravery, misery, treachery
* Practice or habit: gluttony, knavery, slavery
3. Collective Noun:
* Group of people or things: citizenry, peasantry, poultry
To determine the best meaning for "-ery" in a specific word, consider:
* The word itself: "bakery" clearly refers to a place where bread is baked.
* The context of the sentence: "The robber's treachery led to his capture." Here, "treachery" refers to a quality.
* The part of speech: "Citizenship" is a noun, indicating a collective noun meaning.
It's important to note that some words with "-ery" have multiple meanings. For example, "slavery" can refer to the practice of enslavement, the state of being enslaved, or the group of slaves.
Ultimately, the best meaning for "-ery" is the one that fits the context and makes sense.