A workhouse is a noun, an institution maintained at public expense where able-bodied paupers did unpaid work in return for food and accommodation. The above is one of the definitions from the dictionaries. In England, the workhouse is equal to the poorhouse. Poor and homeless people can go to the workhouse to find a job to do so that they can survive. Although the conditions of the workhouse are harsh and the jobs are hard to do, it is still better than nothing. Even though the job may be bad, people can still get food and money to support themselves.
Another definition for workhouse is also a noun; it is a prison for pretty offenders serving short sentences at manual labor, it is a county jail that holds prisons for periods up to 18 months. The first definition is used more formerly in England and the second one is used more popularly in the U.S.
Sources: http://www.thefreedictionary.com/workhouse
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