Work , n.
1. (Cricket) Break; twist. [Cant]
2. (Mech.)
The causing of motion against a resisting force, measured by the product of the force into the component of the motion resolved along the direction of the force.
Energy is the
capacity of doing work. . . . Work is the
transference of energy from one system to
another.
Clerk Maxwell. 3. (Mining) Ore before it is
dressed.
Work (wûrk), v. t. 1.
To labor or operate upon; to give
exertion and effort to; to
prepare for use, or to utilize, by labor.
He
could have told them of
two or three gold mines, and a silver
mine, and given the reason why they forbare to work them at that time.
Sir W. Raleigh. 2. To produce or
form by labor; to bring forth by exertion or toil; to accomplish; to originate; to effect; as, to
work wood or iron into
a form desired, or into a utensil; to work cotton or wool into
cloth.
Each herb he
knew, that works or good or ill.
Harte. 3.
To produce by slow degrees, or as if
laboriously; to bring gradually into any state by
action or motion. "Sidelong he works his way." Milton.
So the pure, limpid stream, when foul with stains
Of rushing torrents
and descending rains,
Works itself clear,
and as it
runs, refines,
Till by
degrees the floating mirror shines.
Addison.
4. To influence by acting upon; to prevail upon; to manage; to lead. "Work your royal father to his
ruin." Philips.
5.
To form with a needle
and thread or yarn; especially, to embroider; as, to work muslin.
6. To set in motion or action; to direct the action of; to
keep at work; to govern; to manage; as, to
work a machine.
Knowledge in building and working ships.
Arbuthnot.
Now, Marcus, thy
virtue's the proof;
Put forth thy
utmost strength, work every nerve.
Addison.
The mariners all
'gan work the ropes,
Where they were wont to do.
Coleridge.
7. To cause to ferment, as liquor.
To work a passage (Naut.), to pay for a passage by
doing work. -- To work double tides (Naut.), to perform the labor of
three days in two; -- a phrase which alludes to a practice
of working by the night
tide as well as by the day. -- To work in,
to insert, introduce, mingle, or interweave by labor or skill. -- To work into, to force, urge, or insinuate into; as, to work one's
self into favor or confidence. -- To work off, to remove gradually, as by labor, or a gradual process; as, beer works off impurities in fermenting. -- To work out. (a) To effect by labor and exertion. "Work out your own salvation with fear and
trembling." Phil. ii. 12. (b) To erase; to efface. [R.]
Tears of joy for your returning spilt,
Work out and expiate our former guilt.
Dryden. (c) To solve, as a problem. (d) To exhaust, as a
mine, by working. -- To work up. (a) To raise; to excite; to stir up; as,
to work up the passions to rage.
The sun, that
rolls his chariot o'er their
heads,
Works up more
fire and color in their cheeks.
Addison.
(b) To expend in any
work, as materials; as, they have
worked up all the stock. (c) (Naut.) To make over or
into something else, as yarns drawn from old rigging, made into spun yarn, foxes, sennit, and the like;
also, to keep constantly at work upon
needless matters, as a crew in order to punish them. R. H. Dana, Jr.
Work (wûrk), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Worked (wûrkt), 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.
waúrkjan. √145. See Work, n.]
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.
O thou good Kent, how shall I live and work,
To match thy goodness?
Shak.
Go therefore
now, and work; for there shall no straw be given you.
Ex. v. 18. Whether we work or play, or sleep or wake,
Our life doth pass.
Sir J. Davies. 2. Hence, in a general sense, to operate; to act; to perform; as, a
machine works well.
We bend to that
the working of the heart.
Shak.
3. Hence, figuratively, to be effective; to have effect or influence; to conduce.
We know that all things work together for good to them that love God.
Rom.
viii. 28. This so wrought upon the child, that afterwards he desired to be taught.
Locke.
She marveled how
she could ever have been wrought upon to marry
him.
Hawthorne.
4. To carry on business; to be engaged or
employed customarily; to
perform the part of a laborer; to labor; to toil.
They that work in fine flax . . . shall be confounded.
Isa. xix. 9.
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.
Confused with working sands and rolling waves.
Addison. 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.
Till body up to spirit
work, in bounds
Proportioned to each kind.
Milton.
7. To ferment, as a
liquid.
The working of beer when
the barm is
put in.
Bacon. 8. To act or operate on the stomach and bowels, as a
cathartic.
Purges . . .
work best, that is, cause the blood so to do, . . . in warm weather or in a warm room.
Grew. 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.
Work (wûrk), n. [OE. work, werk, weorc, AS.
weorc, worc; akin to OFries. werk, wirk,
OS., D., & G.
werk, OHG. werc, werah, Icel. &
Sw. verk, Dan. værk, Goth.
gawaúrki, Gr. 'e`rgon, ϝe`rgon, work, "re`zein to do, 'o`rganon an instrument, 'o`rgia secret rites, Zend verez to work. √145. Cf. Bulwark, Energy,
Erg, Georgic,
Liturgy, Metallurgy, Organ, Orgy, Surgeon, Wright.]
1. Exertion of strength or faculties; physical or intellectual effort
directed to an end; industrial activity; toil; employment; sometimes,
specifically, physical labor.
Man hath his daily work of body or mind
Appointed.
Milton.
2. The matter on which one is
at work; that upon which one spends labor; material for working upon; subject of exertion; the thing occupying one; business; duty; as, to take up one's work; to
drop one's
work.
Come on, Nerissa; I have work in hand
That you yet know
not of.
Shak. In every work that he began . . . he did it with all his
heart, and
prospered.
2 Chron. xxxi. 21. 3.
That which is produced as the result of
labor; anything accomplished by exertion or toil; product; performance; fabric; manufacture; in a more general sense, act, deed, service, effect, result, achievement, feat.
To leave no rubs or blotches in the work.
Shak. The work some praise,
And some the architect.
Milton.
Fancy . . .
Wild work produces oft, and most
in dreams.
Milton.
The composition or dissolution of mixed bodies . . . is the chief work of elements.
Sir K. Digby.
4. Specifically:
(a) That which is produced by mental labor; a composition; a book; as, a work, or the works, of Addison.
(b) Flowers, figures, or the like, wrought with the needle; embroidery.
I am glad I have found
this napkin; . . .
I'll have the
work ta'en out,
And
give 't Iago.
Shak. (c) pl.
Structures in civil, military, or naval engineering, as docks, bridges, embankments, trenches, fortifications,
and the like; also, the structures and grounds of a manufacturing establishment; as, iron works; locomotive works; gas
works. (d) pl.
The moving parts of a mechanism; as, the works of a watch.
5. Manner of working; management; treatment;
as, unskillful work spoiled the effect. Bp. Stillingfleet.
6. (Mech.) The causing
of motion against a resisting force. The amount of
work is proportioned to, and is measured by, the product of the force
into the amount of motion along the direction of the force.
See Conservation of energy, under Conservation, Unit
of work, under Unit, also Foot pound, Horse power, Poundal, and Erg.
Energy is the capacity of doing work . . . Work is the transference of energy from one system to
another.
Clerk Maxwell. 7. (Mining) Ore before it is
dressed. Raymond.
8. pl. (Script.) Performance of moral duties; righteous conduct.
He shall reward every man according to his works.
Matt. xvi. 27. Faith, if it hath not works, is dead.
James ii.
17. Muscular work (Physiol.), the
work done by a muscle through the power of contraction. -- To go to work,
to begin laboring; to commence operations; to contrive; to manage. "I 'll go another way to work with him." Shak. -- To set on work, to cause to begin laboring; to set to work. [Obs.] Hooker.
-- To set to work, to employ; to
cause to engage in any
business or labor.
Hear it pronounced