Etymology

workpiece

work·piece
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Today it means: A partially finished object (often composed of a raw material) which is subjected to various operations, worked on with tools, etc. Full definition →

First used late 19th c.German Werkstück
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The story

  1. German · calque ofWerkstück“piece of work; object being worked on”
  2. English todayworkpiece

From work (noun) + piece (noun), a calque of German Werkstück (“piece of work; object being worked on”).

First known use, by meaning

  • from late 19th c. A partially finished object (often composed of a raw material) which is subjected to various operations, worked on with tools, etc.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.