Work performed at a workbench, especially precise manual labor like assembly, repair, or fine craftsmanship.
Compound of 'bench' and 'work.' Became a standard industrial term in the 18th-19th centuries to distinguish stationary craft work from other forms of labor.
Benchwork required the kind of repetitive precision that machines couldn't deliver—a benchman's steady hand was worth more than gold in watchmaking, jewelry, and early engineering.
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