Work Definition–noun | 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: The students finished their work in class. | | 3. | productive or operative activity. | | 4. | employment, as in some form of industry, esp. as a means of earning one's livelihood: to look for work. | | 5. | one's place of employment: Don't phone him at work. | | 6. | materials, things, etc., on which one is working or is to work. | | 7. | the result of exertion, labor, or activity; a deed or performance. | | 8. | a product of exertion, labor, or activity: musical works. | | 9. | an engineering structure, as a building or bridge. | | 10. | a building, wall, trench, or the like, constructed or made as a means of fortification. | | 11. | works, | a. | (used with a singular or plural verb ) a place or establishment for manufacturing (often used in combination): ironworks. | | b. | the working parts of a machine: the works of a watch. | | c. | Theology. righteous deeds. | | | 12. | Physics. force times the distance through which it acts; specifically, the transference of energy equal to the product of the component of a force that acts in the direction of the motion of the point of application of the force and the distance through which the point of application moves. | | 13. | the works, Informal. | a. | everything; all related items or matters: a hamburger with the works. | | b. | harsh or cruel treatment: to give someone the works. | | –adjective | 14. | of, for, or concerning work: work clothes. | –verb (used without object) | 17. | to be employed, esp. as
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a means of earning one's livelihood: He hasn't worked for six weeks. | | 18. | to be in operation, as a machine. | | 19. | to act or operate effectively: The pump will not work. The plan works. | | 20. | to attain a specified condition, as by repeated movement: The nails worked loose. | | 21. | to have an effect or influence, as on a person or on the mind or feelings of a person. | | 22. | to move in agitation, as the features under strong emotion. | | 23. | to make way with effort or under stress: The ship works to windward. | | 24. | Nautical. to give slightly at the joints, as a vessel under strain at sea. | | 25. | Machinery. to move improperly, as from defective fitting of parts or from wear. | | 26. | to undergo treatment by labor in a given way: This dough works slowly. | | 27. | to ferment, as a liquid. | –verb (used with object) | 28. | to use or manage (an apparatus, contrivance, etc.): She can work many business machines. | | 29. | to bring about (any result) by or as by work or effort: to work a change. | | 30. | to manipulate or treat by labor: to work butter. | | 31. | to put into effective operation. | | 32. | to operate (a mine, farm, etc.) for productive purposes: to work a coal mine. | | 33. | to carry on operations in (a district or region). | | 34. | to make, fashion, or execute by work. | | 35. | to achieve or win by work or effort: to work one's passage. | |
| 36. | to keep (a person, a horse, etc.) at work: She works her employees hard. | | 37. | to influence or persuade, esp. insidiously: to work other people to one's will. | | 38. | Informal. to exploit (someone or something) to one's advantage: See if you can work your uncle for a new car. He worked his charm in landing a new job. | | 39. | to make or decorate by needlework or embroide
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ry: She worked a needlepoint cushion. | | 40. | to cause fermentation in. | —Verb phrases | 41. | work in or into, | a. | to bring or put in; add, merge, or blend: The tailor worked in the patch skillfully. Work the cream into the hands until it is completely absorbed. | | b. | to arrange a time or employment for: The dentist was very busy, but said she would be able to work me in late in the afternoon. They worked him into the new operation. | | | 42. | work off, | a. | to lose or dispose of, as by exercise or labor: We decided to work off the effects of a heavy supper by walking for an hour. | | b. | to pay or fulfill by working: He worked off his debt by doing odd jobs. | | | 43. | work on or upon, to exercise influence on; persuade; affect: I'll work on her, and maybe she'll change her mind. | | 44. | work out, | a. | to bring about by work, effort, or action. | | b. | to solve, as a problem. | | c. | to arrive at by or as by calculation. | | d. | to pay (a debt) by working instead of paying money. | | e. | to exhaust, as a mine. | | h. | to amount to (a total or specified figure); add up (to): 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 order to become proficient in an athletic sport: The boxers are working out at the gym tonight. | | | 45. | work over, | a. | to study or examine thoroughly: For my term paper I worked over 30 volumes of Roman history. | | b. | Informal. to beat unsparingly, esp. in order to obtain something or out of revenge: They threatened to work him over until he talked. | | | 46. | work through, to deal with successfully; come to terms with: to work through one's feelings of guilt. | | 47. | work up, | a. | to move or stir the feelings; excite. | | b. | to prepare; elaborate: Work up some plans. | | c. | to increase in efficiency or skill: He worked up his typing speed to 70 words a minute. | | | 48. | work up to, rise to a higher position; advance: He worked up to the presidency. | —Idioms | 49. | at work, | a. | working, as at one's job: He's at work on a new novel. | | b. | in action or operation: to see the machines at work. | | | 50. | gum up the works, Slang. to spoil something, as through blundering or stupidity: The surprise party was all arranged, but her little brother gummed up the works and told her. | | 51. | in the works, in preparation or being planned: A musical version of the book is in the works. | | 52. | make short work of, to finish or dispose of quickly: We made short work of the chocolate layer cake. | | 53. | out of work, unemployed; jobless: Many people in the area were out of work. | | 54. | shoot the works, Slang. to spend all one's resources: Let's shoot the works and order the crêpes suzette. | |
