Work

Work
Work Work (w[^u]rk), v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Worked} (w[^u]rkt), or {Wrought} (r[add]t); p. pr. & vb. n. {Working}.] [AS. wyrcean (imp. worthe, wrohte, p. p. geworht, gewroht); akin to OFries. werka, wirka, OS. wirkian, D. werken, G. wirken, Icel. verka, yrkja, orka, Goth. wa['u]rkjan. [root]145. See {Work}, n.] [1913 Webster] 1. To exert one's self for a purpose; to put forth effort for the attainment of an object; to labor; to be engaged in the performance of a task, a duty, or the like. [1913 Webster]

O thou good Kent, how shall I live and work, To match thy goodness? --Shak. [1913 Webster]

Go therefore now, and work; for there shall no straw be given you. --Ex. v. 18. [1913 Webster]

Whether we work or play, or sleep or wake, Our life doth pass. --Sir J. Davies. [1913 Webster]

2. Hence, in a general sense, to operate; to act; to perform; as, a machine works well. [1913 Webster]

We bend to that the working of the heart. --Shak. [1913 Webster]

3. Hence, figuratively, to be effective; to have effect or influence; to conduce. [1913 Webster]

We know that all things work together for good to them that love God. --Rom. viii. 28. [1913 Webster]

This so wrought upon the child, that afterwards he desired to be taught. --Locke. [1913 Webster]

She marveled how she could ever have been wrought upon to marry him. --Hawthorne. [1913 Webster]

4. To carry on business; to be engaged or employed customarily; to perform the part of a laborer; to labor; to toil. [1913 Webster]

They that work in fine flax . . . shall be confounded. --Isa. xix. 9. [1913 Webster]

5. To be in a state of severe exertion, or as if in such a state; to be tossed or agitated; to move heavily; to strain; to labor; as, a ship works in a heavy sea. [1913 Webster]

Confused with working sands and rolling waves. --Addison. [1913 Webster]

6. To make one's way slowly and with difficulty; to move or penetrate laboriously; to proceed with effort; -- with a following preposition, as down, out, into, up, through, and the like; as, scheme works out by degrees; to work into the earth. [1913 Webster]

Till body up to spirit work, in bounds Proportioned to each kind. --Milton. [1913 Webster]

7. To ferment, as a liquid. [1913 Webster]

The working of beer when the barm is put in. --Bacon. [1913 Webster]

8. To act or operate on the stomach and bowels, as a cathartic. [1913 Webster]

Purges . . . work best, that is, cause the blood so to do, . . . in warm weather or in a warm room. --Grew. [1913 Webster]

{To work at}, to be engaged in or upon; to be employed in.

{To work to windward} (Naut.), to sail or ply against the wind; to tack to windward. --Mar. Dict. [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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  • work — [wʉrk] n. [ME werk < OE weorc, akin to Ger werk < IE base * werĝ , to do, act > Gr ergon (for * wergon), action, work, organon, tool, instrument] 1. physical or mental effort exerted to do or make something; purposeful activity; labor;… …   English World dictionary

  • Work — (w[^u]rk), n. [OE. work, werk, weorc, AS. weorc, worc; akin to OFries. werk, wirk, OS., D., & G. werk, OHG. werc, werah, Icel. & Sw. verk, Dan. v[ae]rk, Goth. gawa[ u]rki, Gr. e rgon, [digamma]e rgon, work, re zein to do, o rganon an instrument,… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Work — may refer to: Human labor: Employment House work Labor (economics), measure of the work done by human beings Manual labor, physical work done by people Wage labor, in which a worker sells their labor and an employer buys it Work (project… …   Wikipedia

  • work — n 1 Work, labor, travail, toil, drudgery, grind are comparable when they mean effort or exertion directed to the accomplishment of an end, or an employment or activity which involves such expenditure of effort or exertion. Work is the most… …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • Work — (w[^u]rk), v. t. 1. To labor or operate upon; to give exertion and effort to; to prepare for use, or to utilize, by labor. [1913 Webster] He could have told them of two or three gold mines, and a silver mine, and given the reason why they forbare …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • work — ► NOUN 1) activity involving mental or physical effort done in order to achieve a result. 2) such activity as a means of earning income. 3) a task or tasks to be undertaken. 4) a thing or things done or made; the result of an action. 5) (works)… …   English terms dictionary

  • work — [n1] labor, chore assignment, attempt, commission, daily grind*, drudge, drudgery, effort, elbow grease*, endeavor, exertion, functioning, grind, grindstone*, industry, job, moil, muscle, obligation, pains*, performance, production, push, salt… …   New thesaurus

  • Work — Título Charlot, empapelador o Carlitos empapelador o Charlot trabaja Ficha técnica Dirección Charles Chaplin …   Wikipedia Español

  • Work It — «Work It» Sencillo de Nelly y Justin Timberlake del álbum Nellyville Formato Disco compacto Género(s) Rap Duración 4:22 …   Wikipedia Español

  • work it — informal phrase to arrange for something to happen I’ll try and work it so we can leave early today. Thesaurus: to make plans or arrangementssynonym Main entry: work * * * ˈwork it/things …   Useful english dictionary

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