See Also: out of work(dictionary)
work(1)(dictionary)
work(2)(dictionary)
by-work(dictionary)
Work(medicine)
Work(money)
work-shy(dictionary)
tut-work(medicine)
work of art(dictionary)
work(encyclopedia)

work(2) (iou)



work verb. . See also WORKED, WROUGHT ppl adjectives.

I. verb trans. Perform, produce.
Do, perform, practise (a task, deed, process, etc.). Freq. with cogn. obj. (in work miracles, work wonders now passing into sense 5 below). arch. OE.
English Historical Review The special work..and the rich ability with which he wrought it.
b. Commit (a sin or crime), do (evil, wrong, etc.). arch. OE.
Bible (AV): Matthew 7:23 Depart from me, ye that worke iniquity. T. Hood Methought, last night, I wrought A murder, in a dream!
c. Observe (a rite or ceremony). Long obsolete exc. Freemasonry. OE.
Carry out or execute (a person's will, advice, etc.). Now only as passing into sense 5 below. OE.
Produce (as) by labour or exertion, make, construct; now usu. spec., make or form (an ornamental object, design, etc.) artistically or skilfully. Now freq. foll. by in a material or medium. OE.
W. Cowper A goblet exquisitely wrought. U. Le Guin Patterns of vines worked in painted wire.
b. Of God: create. Long rare. OE.
c. Compose (a written work). OE-M18.
Weave (a fabric); make (a garment etc.) by means of needlework or knitting; ornament with or with an embroidered design, embroider. ME.
Shakespeare Venus & Adonis Now she unweaves the web that she hath wrought. Tennyson A damask napkin wrought with horse and hound. L. M. Alcott I'm going to work Mr. Laurence a pair of slippers.
Produce as a result, bring about, cause; accomplish, achieve. ME.
Dickens The beer had wrought no bad effect upon his appetite. P. Barker The changes that sickness and pain had wrought in her appearance. National Law Journal (US) Power failures can often work havoc.
a. Act in order to effect (something); plan, contrive; manage (a matter or proceeding). ME-M17.
Milton To work in close design, by fraud or guile What force effected not.
b. Arrange, engineer, successfully contrive. Usu. foll. by it. colloq. L19.
J. Rule Have you got time off?..Ask Bill...He can work it for you.
Put in, insert, incorporate, esp. in the process of construction or composition. M17.
Steele Those occasional Dissertations, which he has wrought into the Body of his History.
b. Horticulture. Graft on a stock. M17.
II. verb trans. Do something to, influence, affect.
a. Cause to be in, bring into, a specified state (now esp. as a result of exertion or artificial agitation); make, render; change, convert. With obj. & adjective compl. or adverbial phr. Now freq. refl. OE.
Shakespeare Henry VIII This imperious man will work us all From princes into pages. Manchester Examiner It would take some time for the trade to work itself right. J. Rhys I'd worked myself into a frenzy.
b. Make (up), compound, or shape (materials, ingredients, etc.) into or into something. M16.
Expend effort or energy on, operate in or on, or apply force to; spec. (a) till or cultivate, (land, soil, etc.); (b) obtain (ore, coal, stone, etc.) by mining or quarrying; extract materials from (a mine, quarry, etc.); (c) knead or stir (a mixture); (d) shape (stone, metal, etc.) by cutting or hammering; (e) = work out (g) below; (f) practise one's occupation, perform, or operate in or at (a place, site, etc.) or for (a specified period) or according to (an agreed system of hours); (g) (of a train, bus, etc.) operate along (a specified line or route). OE.
Jazz Journal International I came back..and worked a few clubs and so forth. Finescale Modeler Work the paint into the brush by stroking on the palette. Countryside Campaigner Minerals can only be worked where they naturally occur. New Civil Engineer Main contractor Jones Bros..has been working 11 hour shifts, six and a half days a week.
a. Set to work, exact labour from; employ in work; spec. use (a dog) for herding sheep or cattle. LME.
M. Dickens Jane is working you too hard. Sporting Dog Terry Harris..worked a brace of dogs towards the sheep.
b. Exercise (a faculty etc.); cause (a thing) to act; actuate, operate, use, direct the action of, (a machine, plan, institution, etc.). LME.
C. Ryan A lone signaller..began to work his radio set. P. Fitzgerald There were lifts, worked by electricity.
Act on the mind, will, or feelings of; influence, persuade; affect, stir the emotions of. Later also, try to persuade, urge. L16.
Shakespeare Macbeth My dull brain was wrought With things forgotten. Times The born politician's art of working a crowd.
b. Hoax, cheat, take advantage of. US. L19.
Make (one's or its way), esp. gradually or laboriously. Also refl. L16.
B. Emecheta A big bead of perspiration working its way..down the bridge of Nina's nose.
a. Cause to progress or penetrate into or move out of some position, esp. against resistance. E17.
B. Taylor In vain I..worked my benumbed hands. Times Literary Supplement A neighbouring battery of guns..were being worked into position. refl.: Skin Diver The hull has worked itself about three feet into the hard clay bottom.
b. Direct the movement of, guide or drive in a particular course; spec. (a) steer, manoeuvre, (a ship, boat, etc.); (b) (chiefly Austral. & NZ) herd (sheep, cattle, etc.). M17.
Defoe Having no Sails to work the Ship with. F. D. Davison Sheep dogs..working lost flocks in the mountain gullies.
III. verb intrans. Act, function, labour.
Of a person: do something, act, proceed, behave. Long rare or obsolete in gen. sense. OE.
R. Crowley If he haue wrought against the lawes.
b. Proceed (in a particular way) in performing a calculation or solving a problem. LME.
D. Bagley This gadget is working in octal instead of decimal.
Exert oneself physically or mentally, esp. in order to achieve a purpose or result; do work, labour, toil, (at or on a subject, occupation, project, etc.); perform a task or tasks; conduct a campaign; strive (for, to do). Also (long arch. rare), plan, contrive, (that, to do). OE.
Shakespeare Henry VIII Without the King's assent or knowledge You wrought to be a legate. G. Godwin How hard some folks do work at what they call pleasure. J. Lubbock Ants work not only all day, but..often all night too. Sea Spray These lads have worked like dogs all winter.
Do one's daily or ordinary business or work; pursue a regular occupation, have a job, be employed, (in some trade, profession, field of study or activity, etc.). Also (slang), operate as a thief or swindler. ME.
R. Hoggart The employed inhabitants of these areas work for a wage. P. A. Adams Leaving the Society to work as a secular priest in the Clifton diocese.
a. (Of a thing) perform a function; (of a machine, device, etc.) run, operate, or function, esp. properly or effectively; spec. revolve, go through regular motions; (of an action, plan, etc.) be practicable, succeed. ME.
A. C. Gunter Maurice..closes the door..trying it to be sure the spring lock has worked. W. Lippmann Trying out all sorts of schemes to find out whether they work. Entertainment Weekly If this is author Anthony Browne's image for emotional withdrawal, it doesn't work for this reader.
b. Have or produce an effect, take effect, have or exert an influence; spec. use one's persuasive power, (strive to) prevail. Foll. by on, upon, (arch.) with. LME.
Shakespeare Twelfth Night I know my physic will work with him. S. Pepys The King may yet be wrought upon..to bring changes in our Office. Ld Macaulay She..worked on his feelings by pretending to be ill. H. James She worked..upon the sympathy..of her associates.
Of a part of the body: ache, hurt. Cf. WARK verb. obsolete exc. dial. LME.
Of a substance, material, etc.: behave in a specified way while being worked (sense 9 above). L15.
Of wine etc.: ferment. Cf. earlier WORKING noun 9. M16.
IV. verb intrans. Move.
Move or travel on a particular course or route, proceed in a particular direction; make one's or its way, progress, penetrate, esp. gradually, laboriously, or in a specified way. LME.
A. Brassey After midnight..the wind worked gradually round. fig.: E. Gaskell Their religion did not work down into their lives.
b. spec. Nautical. Sail in a particular course or direction; esp. sail against the wind, tack. M17.
Move restlessly, violently, or convulsively; be in or cause a state of agitation; spec. (a) (of the sea etc.) toss, seethe; (b) Nautical (of a ship) strain or labour so that the fastenings become slack; (c) (of the face or features) twitch, move convulsively. L16.
John Taylor The well..doth continually work and bubble with extream violence. E. Welty Her face worked and broke into strained, hardening lines. fig.: C. Stanford Tempests of feeling often work beneath an unchanged face.
Arrive gradually at a specified state or position as a result of constant or continual movement. L18.
R. H. Dana The anchor on the lee bow had worked loose, and was thumping the side.
Phrases: be subdued to what one works in: see SUBDUE verb 2. music while you work: see MUSIC noun. work a point Austral. slang take unfair advantage. work like a beaver: see BEAVER noun1. work like a charm: see CHARM noun1. work like a nigger: see NIGGER noun 1. work one's arse off: see ARSE noun 1. work one's fingers to the bone: see BONE noun. work one's guts out: see GUT noun. work one's passage pay for one's journey on a ship with work instead of money. work one's tail off: see TAIL noun1. work one's ticket: see TICKET noun. work one's way through college etc. obtain the money for educational fees, one's maintenance as a student, etc., by working. work one's will arch. accomplish one's purpose on or upon a person or thing. work on tribute: see TRIBUTE noun 3. work out one's own SALVATION. work scathe: see SCATHE noun 2. work the oracle: see ORACLE noun. work the rabbit's foot on: see rabbit's foot (a) s.v. RABBIT noun. work to rule: see RULE noun. work wonders: see WONDER noun.
With adverbs & prepositions in specialized senses: work away work continuously or unremittingly. work back Austral. colloq. do overtime. work in (a) insert, introduce, incorporate, find a place for; (b) cooperate or get along with. work off (a) print off (as from a plate), esp. print in final form ready for publication or distribution; (b) dispose of, palm off, pass off; (c) take off or away by degrees; get rid of, free oneself from, esp. by continuous action, effort, or work. work on continue working. work out (a) bring, fetch, or get out by some process or course of action; get rid of, expel; (b) (of something enclosed or embedded) make its way out, esp. gradually; work loose and come out; (c) work (a mine etc.) until it is exhausted; (d) discharge (a debt etc.) by labour instead of with money; (e) bring about or produce (a result) by labour or effort; attain, accomplish, esp. with difficulty; (f) (rare, Shakes.) preserve to the end; (g) solve (a problem or question) by reasoning or calculation; find out by calculating, calculate (an answer, sum, amount, etc.); (h) give or produce a definite result, have or issue in a particular or specified result; (i) be calculated at a quantity or total; (j) bring to a fuller or finished state, produce or express completely or in detail, develop, elaborate; (k) engage in physical exercise or training; spec. (Boxing) fight a practice bout. work out of use (a place, office, etc.) as a base for one's work or business. work over (a) colloq. beat up or violently attack (a person); (b) examine thoroughly. work to be responsible to (a person) as one's immediate superior, supervisor, etc. work up (a) build up or construct (a wall etc.); (b) stir up, mix, mingle, (ingredients etc.); make up (material) into something by labour, bring (material) into some condition, esp. into efficient working order or readiness for use; (c) elaborate, enlarge, develop, (to or into something); (d) bring by work or an influence to or into a specified state or condition; (e) painstakingly make, construct, form, or fashion (cf. sense 3 above); (f) Nautical (now rare or obsolete) set to or keep at needless and disagreeable hard work as a punishment; (g) learn, study, or master (a subject); (h) arouse, excite, agitate (a person, the emotions, etc.), esp. gradually; induce or persuade (a person) to do something; (i) be gradually stirred up or excited; proceed or advance to a climax or state of agitation.
Comb.: workaway US a person who works his passage on a ship; work-in a protest, usu. against threatened closure of a factory etc., in which workers occupy the workplace and continue working; workout (a) Boxing a practice bout; (b) gen. a session of exercise or training; a test, a trial; workover the repair or maintenance of an oil well; work-to-rule the action or an instance of working to rule; work-up (a) Printing (a smudge made by) a piece of spacing material that works loose and rises in the forme; (b) Medicine (orig. US) a diagnostic examination of a patient; (c) Chemistry the experimental procedures carried out to separate and purify substances for analysis or the products of a chemical reaction; (d) (an instance of) the process of bringing a ship into seaworthy condition.