work (wûrk)n.1. a. Physical or mental effort or activity directed toward the production or accomplishment of something: Cleaning the basement was a lot of work.b. Such effort or activity by which one makes a living; employment: looking for work.c. A trade, profession, or other means of livelihood: His work is fixing cars.2. a. The part of a day devoted to an occupation or undertaking: met her after work.b. One’s place of employment: Should I call you at home or at work?3. a. Something that one is doing, making, or performing, especially as an occupation or undertaking; a duty or task: begin the day’s work.b. An amount of such activity either done or required: a week’s work.c. The action or effect of an agency: The antibiotic seems to be doing its work.4. a. Something that has been produced or accomplished through the effort, activity, or agency of a person or thing: This scheme was the work of a criminal mastermind. Erosion is the work of wind, water, and time.b. An act; a deed: “I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity” (Ecclesiastes 1:14).c. An artistic creation, such as a painting, sculpture, or literary or musical composition, or a creative result of other human activity: an early work of Matisse; a scholarly work of great importance.d. works The output of a writer, artist, or composer considered or collected as a whole: the works of Bach.5. a. works Engineering structures, such as bridges or dams.b. A fortified structure, such as a trench or fortress.6. a. Needlework, weaving, lacemaking, or a similar textile art.b. A piece of such textile art.7. A material or piece of material being processed in a machine during manufacture: work to be turned in the lathe.8. works(used with a sing. or pl. verb) A factory, plant, or similar building or complex of buildings where a specific type of business or industry is carried on. Often used in combination: a steelworks.9. works Internal mechanism: the works of a watch.10. The manner, style, or quality of working or treatment; workmanship.11. Abbr. w Physics The transfer of energy from one physical system to another, especially the application of a force to move a body in a certain direction. It is calculated as the product of the force and the distance over which it is applied and is expressed in joules, ergs, and foot-pounds.12. works Moral or righteous acts or deeds: salvation by faith rather than works.13. worksa. Informal The full range of possibilities; everything. Used with the: ordered a pizza with the works.b. Slang A thorough beating or other severe treatment. Used with the: took him outside and gave him the works.adj. Of, relating to, designed for, or engaged in work.v. worked also wrought (rôt), work·ing, works v.intr.1. To exert oneself physically or mentally in order to do, make, or accomplish something.2. To be employed; have a job.3. a. To function; operate: How does this latch work?b. To function or operate in the desired or required way: The telephone hasn’t worked since the thunderstorm.4. a. To have a given effect or outcome: Our friendship works best when we speak our minds.b. To have the desired effect or outcome; prove successful: This recipe seems to work.5. To exert an influence. Used with on or upon: worked on her to join the group.6. To arrive at a specified condition through gradual or repeated movement: The stitches worked loose.7. To proceed or progress slowly and laboriously: worked through the underbrush; worked through my problems in therapy.8. To move in an agitated manner, as with emotion: Her mouth worked with fear.9. To behave in a specified way when handled or processed: Not all metals work easily.10. To ferment.11. Nautical a. To strain in heavy seas so that the joints give slightly and the fastenings become slack. Used of a boat or ship.b. To sail against the wind.12. To undergo small motions that result in friction and wear: The gears work against each other.v.tr.1. To cause or effect; bring about: working miracles.2. To cause to operate or function; actuate, use, or manage: worked the controls; can work a lathe.3. To shape or forge: “Each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor” (Edgar Allan Poe).4. To make or decorate by needlework: work a sampler.5. To solve (a problem) by calculation and reasoning.6. To knead, stir, or otherwise manipulate in preparation: Work the dough before shaping it.7. To bring to a specified condition by gradual or repeated effort or work: finally worked the window open; worked the slaves to death.8. To make, achieve, or pay for by work or effort: worked her way to the top; worked his passage on the ship.9. Informal To arrange or contrive. Often used with it: worked it so that her weekends are free.10. To make productive; cultivate: work a farm.11. To cause to work: works his laborers hard.12. To excite or provoke: worked the mob into a frenzy.13. Informal a. To gratify, cajole, or enchant artfully, especially for the purpose of influencing: The politician worked the crowd. The comedian worked the room with flawless rhythm.b. To use or manipulate to one’s own advantage; exploit: learned how to work the system; worked his relatives for sympathy.14. To carry on an operation or function in or through: the agent who works that area; working the phones for donations.15. To ferment (liquor, for example).Phrasal Verbs: work in1. To insert or introduce: worked in a request for money.2. To make an opening for, as in a schedule: said the doctor would try to work her in.3. To cause to be inserted by repeated or continuous effort. work into1. To insert or introduce into: worked some childhood memories into his novel.2. To make an opening for (someone or something) in: worked a few field trips into the semester’s calendar.3. To place or insert in by repeated or continuous effort: worked the pick into the lock. work off To get rid of by work or effort: work off extra pounds; work off a debt. work out1. To accomplish by work or effort: worked out a compromise.2. To find a solution for; solve: worked out the equations; worked out their personal differences.3. To formulate or develop: work out a plan.4. To discharge (an obligation or debt) with labor in place of money.5. To prove successful, effective, or satisfactory: The new strategy may not work out.6. To have a specified result: The ratio works out to an odd number. It worked out that everyone left on the same train.7. To engage in strenuous exercise for physical conditioning.8. To exhaust (a mine, for example). work over1. To do for a second time; rework.2. Slang To inflict severe physical damage on; beat up. work up1. To arouse the emotions of; excite.2. a. To increase one’s skill, responsibility, efficiency, or status through work: worked up to 30 sit-ups a day; worked up to store manager.b. To intensify gradually: The film works up to a thrilling climax.3. To develop or produce by mental or physical effort: worked up a patient profile; worked up an appetite.Idioms: at work1. Engaged in labor; working: at work on a new project.2. In operation: inflationary forces at work in the economy. in the works In preparation; under development: has a novel in the works. out of work Without a job; unemployed. put in work To perform labor or duties, as on a specified project: put in work on the plastering. work both sides of the street To engage in double-dealing; be duplicitous. work like a charm To function very well or have a very good effect or outcome. work (one’s) fingers to the bone To labor extremely hard; toil or travail.[Middle English, from Old English weorc; see werg- in Indo-European roots.]Synonyms: work, labor, toil1, drudgery, travail These nouns refer to physical or mental effort expended to produce or accomplish something. Work is the most widely applicable: hard work in the fields; did some work around the house on weekends; a first draft that still needs work. Labor usually implies human work, especially of a hard physical or intellectual nature: a construction job that involves heavy labor.”All scholarly work builds on the cumulative labors of others” (Jerome Karabel). Toil applies principally to strenuous, fatiguing labor: “a spirited woman of intellect condemned to farmhouse toil” (Cynthia Ozick). Drudgery suggests dull, wearisome, or monotonous work: “the drudgery of penning definitions and marking quotations for transcription” (Thomas Macaulay). Travail connotes arduous work involving pain or suffering: “prisoners of the splendor and travail of the earth” (Henry Beston).American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.work (w??k) n1. physical or mental effort directed towards doing or making something2. (Industrial Relations & HR Terms) paid employment at a job or a trade, occupation, or profession3. a duty, task, or undertaking4. (Art Terms) something done, made, etc, as a result of effort or exertion: a work of art. 5. materials or tasks on which to expend effort or exertion6. another word for workmanship37. (Industrial Relations & HR Terms) the place, office, etc, where a person is employed8. (Mechanical Engineering) any piece of material that is undergoing a manufacturing operation or process; workpiece9. (Art Terms) a. decoration or ornamentation, esp of a specified kindb. (in combination): wirework; woolwork. 10. (General Engineering) an engineering structure such as a bridge, building, etc11. (General Physics) physics the transfer of energy expressed as the product of a force and the distance through which its point of application moves in the direction of the force. Abbreviation: W or w 12. (Fortifications) a structure, wall, etc, built or used as part of a fortification system13. (Industrial Relations & HR Terms) at one’s job or place of employment14. in action; operating15. make short work of informal to handle or dispose of very quickly16. (Industrial Relations & HR Terms) (modifier) of, relating to, or used for work: work clothes; a work permit. vb17. (intr) to exert effort in order to do, make, or perform something18. (Industrial Relations & HR Terms) (intr) to be employed19. (Industrial Relations & HR Terms) (tr) to carry on operations, activity, etc, in (a place or area): that salesman works the southern region. 20. (Industrial Relations & HR Terms) (tr) to cause to labour or toil: he works his men hard. 21. to operate or cause to operate, esp properly or effectively: to work a lathe; that clock doesn’t work. 22. (Agriculture) (tr) to till or cultivate (land)23. to handle or manipulate or be handled or manipulated: to work dough. 24. to shape, form, or process or be shaped, formed, or processed: to work copper. 25. to reach or cause to reach a specific condition, esp gradually: the rope worked loose. 26. (Mathematics) (tr) chiefly US and Canadian to solve (a mathematical problem)27. (intr) to move in agitation: his face worked with anger. 28. (often foll by: up) to provoke or arouse: to work someone into a frenzy. 29. (tr) to effect or accomplish: to work one’s revenge. 30. to make (one’s way) with effort: he worked his way through the crowd. 31. (Knitting & Sewing) (tr) to make or decorate by hand in embroidery, tapestry, etc: she was working a sampler. 32. (Mechanical Engineering) (intr) (of a mechanism) to move in a loose or otherwise imperfect fashion33. (Brewing) (intr) (of liquids) to ferment, as in brewing34. (tr) informal to manipulate or exploit to one’s own advantage35. (tr) slang to cheat or swindle[Old English weorc (n), wircan, wyrcan (vb); related to Old High German wurchen, German wirken, Old Norse yrkja, Gothic waurkjan] ?workless adj ?worklessness nCollins English Dictionary ? Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014work (w?rk) n., adj., v. worked (Archaic except in some senses, esp. 35,37,40 ) wrought; working. n. 1. exertion or effort directed to produce or accomplish something; labor; toil. 2. something on which exertion or labor is expended; a task or undertaking. 3. productive or operative activity, esp. employment to earn one’s living: to look for work. 4. one’s place of employment: Don’t phone me at work. 5. materials, things, etc., on which one is working or is to work. 6. the result of exertion, labor, or activity; a deed, performance, or product. 7. an engineering structure, as a building or bridge. 8. a building, wall, trench, or the like, constructed or made as a means of fortification. 9. works, a. (used with a sing. or pl. v.) a place or establishment for manufacturing (often used in combination): ironworks. b. the working parts of a machine: the works of a watch. c. Theol. righteous deeds. 10. Physics. the transfer of energy, as measured by the scalar product of a force and the distance through which it acts. 11. the works, a. everything; all related items or matters: a hamburger with the works. b. harsh or cruel treatment. adj. 12. of, for, or concerning work: work clothes. v.i. 13. to do work; labor. 14. to be employed, esp. as a means of earning one’s livelihood. 15. to be in operation; be functional, as a machine or system: The elevators are working again. 16. to act or operate effectively: This plan works. 17. to attain a specified condition, as by repeated movement: The nails worked loose. 18. to have an effect or influence, as on a person or on a person’s mind or feelings. 19. to move in agitation, as the features under strong emotion. 20. to make way with effort or under stress: The ship works to windward. 21. to ferment, as a liquid. 22. Naut. to give slightly at the joints, as a vessel under strain at sea. v.t. 23. to use, manage, or operate (an apparatus, contrivance, etc.). 24. to bring about (any result) by or as if by work or effort: to work a change. 25. to manipulate or treat by labor: to work butter. 26. to put into effective operation. 27. to make (a mine, farm, etc.) productive. 28. to carry on operations or activity in (a district or region): That salesman works the Northeast. 29. to make, fashion, or execute by work. 30. to achieve or win by work or effort. 31. to keep at work: to work one’s employees hard. 32. to solve (a puzzle or arithmetic problem). 33. to cause a strong emotion in: to work a crowd into a frenzy. 34. to influence or persuade, esp. insidiously: to work other people to one’s will. 35. to use to one’s advantage: He worked his charm in landing a new job. 36. to make or decorate by needlework or embroidery. 37. to cause fermentation in. 38. work in or into, a. to blend in. b. to include after some effort: Try to work me into your schedule. 39. work off, a. to lose or dispose of, as by exercise or labor: to work off a heavy meal with a long walk. b. to pay or fulfill by working: to work off a debt. 40. work on or upon, to exercise influence on; persuade. 41. work out, a. to bring about by work, effort, or action. b. to solve, as a problem. c. to arrive at by or as if by calculation. d. to pay or fulfill by working; work off. e. to exhaust, as a mine. f. to issue in a result. g. to evolve; elaborate. h. (of a total, specified figure, etc.) to amount; add up: The total works out to 176. i. to prove effective or successful: Their marriage just didn’t work out. j. to practice, exercise, or train, esp. in an athletic sport: boxers working out at a gym. 42. work over, a. to study or examine thoroughly. b. to beat unsparingly. 43. work through, to deal with successfully; come to terms with. 44. work up, a. to move or stir the feelings of; excite. b. to prepare; elaborate: Work up a proposal. c. to cause to develop by exertion: to work up an appetite. Idioms: 1. at work, a. working, as at one’s job. b. in action or operation: machines at work. 2. in the works, in preparation or being planned. 3. out of work, unemployed; jobless. [before 900; (n.) Middle English worke, Old English worc, replacing Middle English werk(e), Old English weorc, c. Old Frisian, Old Saxon werk, Old High German werah, werc, Old Norse verk, Greek érgon] syn: work, drudgery, labor, toil refer to exertion of body or mind in performing or accomplishing something. work is a general word that refers to exertion that is either easy or hard: pleasurable work; backbreaking work. drudgery suggests continuous, dreary, and dispiriting work, esp. of a menial or servile kind: Cleaning these blinds is sheer drudgery. labor denotes hard manual work, esp. for wages: Repairing the bridge will require months of labor. toil suggests wearying or exhausting labor: The farmer’s health was failing from constant toil. Random House Kernerman Webster’s College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.work (wûrk) The transfer of energy from one object to another, especially in order to make the second object move in a certain direction. Work is equal to the amount of force multiplied by the distance over which it is applied. If a force of 10 newtons, for example, is applied over a distance of 3 meters, the work is equal to 30 newtons per meter (or 30 joules). Compare energy, power.The American Heritage® Student Science Dictionary, Second Edition. Copyright © 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.WorkSee also occupations; organized labor. drudgerydull, laborious, or menial work. ? drudge, n.empleomaniaan obsession with public employment.ergasiophobiaan abnormal fear of work.ergographan instrument that records the amount of work done when a muscle contracts. ? ergographic, adj.ergologythe study of the effect of work on mind and body. ? ergologist, n.ergomaniaa mania for work.ergophilea person who loves to work.ergophobiaa hatred of work.faineance, faineancylaziness; the state of being idle. ? fainéant, adj.flexitimea work practice under which workers are able, within certain limits, to choose their own hours of work.lucubration1. laborious work or study, especially when done late at night.2. the work, as a book or treatise, produced or apparently produced this way. ? lucubrator, n.operosity1. the state or quality of being industrious or busy.2. the condition of being toilsome. ? operose, adj.sinecurismthe policy or practice of maintaining an office or position that provides income without demanding any or much work or attendance. Also sinecureship. ? sinecure, n.Taylorismthe methods of scientific factory management first introduced in the early 19th century by the American engineer Frederick W. Taylor, especially the differential piece-rate system.thaasophobiaan abnormal fear or dislike of being idle.volunteerismthe practice or advocacy of working as a volunteer, often with the hope of thereby gaining paid employment in the same field.-Ologies & -Isms. Copyright 2008 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.