1560s, "something made by hand," from Middle French manufacture, from Medieval Latin *manufactura (source of Italian manifattura, Spanish manufactura), from Latin manu, ablative of manus "hand" (see manual (adj.)) + factura "a working," from past participle stem of facere "to perform" (see factitious). Sense of "process of manufacturing" first recorded c. 1600. Related: Manufactures.