1. Place or Activity:
* -ery indicates a place or activity associated with something.
* Bakery: A place where bread is baked.
* Fishery: A place where fish are caught or raised.
* Brewery: A place where beer is brewed.
* Butchery: A place where meat is sold or prepared.
2. Practice or Skill:
* -ery can indicate a skill or practice, often in a negative or derogatory way.
* Trickery: The practice of deception.
* Forgery: The practice of creating counterfeit documents.
* Witchery: The practice of magic, often seen as evil.
3. Quality or Condition:
* -ery can also denote a quality or condition, often associated with something unpleasant.
* Poverty: The state of being poor.
* Slavery: The state of being enslaved.
* Misery: A state of great suffering.
4. Group of People:
* -ery can indicate a group of people associated with something, often in a negative or derogatory way.
* Brotherhood: A group of men bound together by a common interest.
* Sisterhood: A group of women bound together by a common interest.
* Scoundreldom: A group of dishonest or immoral people.
In Summary:
The best meaning of "-ery" depends on the specific word it's attached to and the context it's used in. It often conveys a place, activity, practice, quality, or group of people, but can also be used in negative or derogatory ways.