[f. WHALE sb. + -ERY.]
1. The industry of whale-fishing, or the establishment for carrying it on.
1683. W. Penn, Lett. to Free Soc. Traders, 9. The Whalery [is conveniently posted] for a sound and fruitful Bank. Ibid. (1685), Furth. Acc. Pennsylv., 8. We justly hope a considerable profit by a Whalery.
1878. Susan Phillips, On Seaboard, 15. Since I sailed away to the whalery, When I was a bit of a lad.
1899. Daily News, 2 Dec., 6/4. South Sea whaleries.
2. A tank to keep a whale in.
a. 1880. F. T. Buckland, Notes & Jottings (1882), 345. When the whale had been in his whalery about three hours, he had quite recovered himself both in mind and body.