Industrial Revolution

noun

the transformation from an agricultural to an industrial nation (Freq. 2)

• Syn: ↑technological revolution

• Instance Hypernyms: ↑historic period, ↑age

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noun

the Industrial Revolution

: the major social and economic changes that occurred in Britain, Europe, and the U.S. in the late 18th and early 19th centuries when new machinery, new sources of power, and new ways of manufacturing products were developed

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the Inˌdustrial Revoˈlution [Industrial Revolution] noun singular

the period in the 18th and 19th centuries in Europe and the US when machines began to be used to do work, and industry grew rapidly

 

Culture:

Britain was the first country to change from being largely an agricultural country to being an industrial one. During this time, many important machines were invented. These were mostly made possible by the discovery of steam power from coal and the invention of the steam engine, which allowed one person to do what before had required many workers. As a result, big factories were built which could produce a wide variety of goods in large quantities. New methods of transport, in particular canals and railways, were developed for transporting coal and goods from place to place. During the Industrial Revolution, the populations of cities grew rapidly as people moved from the countryside to work in factories and Britain became known as the ‘workshop of the world’. The same kind of development soon began in other countries in Europe and in the US.

See also ↑Ironbridge

.