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1. Dictionary

   work

   /wərk/

   noun

   • 1. activity involving mental or physical effort done in order to achieve a purpose or result: "he was tired after a day's work" Similar labortoilexertioneffortslogdrudgerythe sweat of one's browindustryserviceinformal:grindsweatdonkey workspadeworkelbow greasegraftfagyakkaarchaic:travailmoilOpposite leisurerest
   • ▪ mental or physical activity as a means of earning income; employment: "I'm still looking for work" Similar employmentjobday jobpostpositionsituationmeans of earning one's livingoccupationprofessioncareerbusinesstradelinevocationcallingarchaic:employ
   • ▪ the place where one is employed: "I was returning home from work on a packed subway"
   • ▪ the period of time one spends in paid employment: "he was going to the theater after work"
   • 2. a task or tasks to be undertaken; something a person or thing has to do: "they made sure the work was progressing smoothly" Similar tasksjobsdutiesassignmentscommissionsprojectschores
   • ▪ the materials for a task: "she frequently took work home with her"
   • ▪ cosmetic plastic surgery: informal "between you and me, I think he's had some work done"
   • ▪ good or moral deeds: "the Clapham sect was concerned with works rather than with faith"
   • 3. something done or made: "her work hangs in all the main American collections" Similar handiworkdoingactdeedfeatperformance
   • ▪ the result of the action of a specified person or thing: "the bombing had been the work of a German-based cell"
   • ▪ a literary or musical composition or other piece of fine art: "a work of fiction" Similar compositionpiececreationachievementaccomplishmentwork of artopusoeuvre
   • ▪ all literary or musical pieces by a particular author, composer, or artist, regarded collectively: "the works of Schubert fill several feet of shelf space" Similar writingsoeuvrecanonoutput
   • ▪ a piece of embroidery, sewing, or knitting, typically made using a specified stitch or method.
   • ▪ an architectural or engineering structure such as a bridge or dam.
   • ▪ the record of the successive calculations made in solving a mathematical problem: "show your work on a separate sheet of paper"
   • 4. a place or premises for industrial activity, typically manufacturing: British "he found a job in the ironworks" Similar factoryplantmanufacturing complexmillfoundryyardindustrial unitbusiness unitworkshopshop
   • 5. the operative part of a clock or other machine: "she could almost hear the tick of its works" Similar mechanismmachineryworkingsworking partspartsmovementactioninformal:innardsinsides
   • 6. a defensive structure: "just north of the fort were trenches and the freshly reconstructed patriot siege works"
   • 7. the exertion of force overcoming resistance or producing molecular change.
   • 8. everything needed, desired, or expected: informal "the heavens put on a show: sheet lightning, hailstones—the works" Similar everythingthe full treatmentinformal:everything but the kitchen sinkthe lotthe whole shooting matchthe whole (kit and) caboodlethe whole shebangthe whole nine yardsthe full montythe whole ball of wax

   verb

   • 1. be engaged in physical or mental activity in order to achieve a result; do work: "she has been working so hard" Similar toillaborexert oneselfslave (away)plod awaywork one's fingers to the bonework like a Trojan/dogwork day and nightkeep at itkeep one's nose to the grindstoneinformal:slog (away)beaver awayplug awaypeg awayput one's back into somethingwork one's guts outwork one's socks offknock oneself outsweat bloodkill oneselfgraftfagbullockvulgar slang:work one's balls/arse offwork one's ass/butt offarchaic:drudgetravailmoilOpposite restplay
   • ▪ be employed in a specified occupation or field: "he worked as a waiter in a rather shabby restaurant" Similar be employedhave a jobearn one's livinghold down a jobdo businessfollow/ply one's trade
   • ▪ set to or keep at work: "Jane is working you too hard"
   • ▪ solve (a puzzle or mathematical problem): "she spent her days working crosswords"
   • ▪ practice one's occupation or operate in or at (a particular place): "I worked a few clubs and so forth"
   • 2. (of a machine or system) operate or function, especially properly or effectively: "his cell phone doesn't work unless he goes to a high point" Similar functiongorunoperateperformbe in working orderinformal:behave
   • ▪ (of a machine or a part of it) run; go through regular motions: "it's designed to go into a special “rest” state when it's not working"
   • ▪ cause (a device or machine) to operate: "teaching customers how to work a PC" Similar operateusehandlecontrolmanipulatemaneuverdriverundirectplywield
   • 3. (of a plan or method) have the desired result or effect: "the desperate ploy had worked" Similar succeedbe successfulwork outturn out wellgo as plannedhave the desired resultget resultsbe effectivetake effectbe efficaciousinformal:come offpay offdo the trickdo the businessturn the trickOpposite fail
   • ▪ bring about; produce as a result: "with a dash of blusher here and there, you can work miracles" Similar bring aboutaccomplishachieveproducedoperformcarry outimplementexecutecreateengendercontriveeffect
   • ▪ make efforts to achieve something; campaign: "they are dedicated to working for a better future for the generations to come"
   • ▪ arrange or contrive: informal "the chairman was prepared to work it for Phillip if he was interested"
   • ▪ use one's persuasive power to stir the emotions of (a person or group of people): "the born politician's art of working a crowd" Similar stir (up)excitedrivemovespurrousefiregalvanizewhip upinflameinciteagitate
   • 4. bring (a material or mixture) to a desired shape or consistency by hammering, kneading, or some other method: "work the mixture into a paste with your hands" Similar kneadsqueezeformshapefashionmoldmodelmixstirblend
   • ▪ produce artistic pieces using a particular material or medium: "he works in clay over a very strong frame"
   • ▪ produce (an article or design) using a specified material or sewing stitch: "the castle itself is worked in tent stitch"
   • ▪ cultivate (land) or extract materials from (a mine or quarry): "contracts and leases to work the mines" Similar cultivatefarmtillplowexploit
   • 5. move or cause to move gradually or with difficulty into another position, typically by means of constant movement or pressure: "comb from tip to root, working out the knots at the end" Similar maneuvermanipulatenegotiateguideedgemaneuvermakethreadwindweave
   • ▪ (of a person's features) move violently or convulsively: "hair wild, mouth working furiously" Similar twitchquivertwistmove spasmodicallyconvulse
   • ▪ (of joints, such as those in a wooden ship) loosen and flex under repeated stress.
   • ▪ make progress to windward, with repeated tacking: "trying to work to windward in light airs"
   • 6. bring into a specified state, especially an emotional state: "Harold had worked himself into a minor rage" Similar stir (up)excitedrivemovespurrousefiregalvanizewhip upinflameinciteagitate

   Word Origin Old Englishweorc (noun), wyrcan (verb), of Germanic origin; related to Dutch werk and German Werk, from an Indo-European root shared by Greek ergon.

   Scrabble Points: 11

   • W

     4

   • O

     1

   • R

     1

   • K

     5

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2. www.merriam-webster.com › dictionary › workWork Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster

   www.merriam-webster.com › dictionary › work

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   Jul 5, 2012 · Learn the various meanings and uses of the word work as a verb, noun, and adjective. Find synonyms, example sentences, phrases, and related articles for work.

3. dictionary.cambridge.org › dictionary › englishWORK | English meaning - Cambridge Dictionary

   dictionary.cambridge.org › dictionary › english

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   Learn the meaning of work as a noun and a verb in English, with different senses and usage. Find out how to use work in phrases, idioms, and grammar rules.

4. Videos

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5. www.dictionary.com › browse › workWORK Definition & Meaning | Dictionary.com

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   Work definition: exertion or effort directed to produce or accomplish something; labor; toil. . See examples of WORK used in a sentence.

6. www.vocabulary.com › dictionary › workWork - Definition, Meaning & Synonyms | Vocabulary.com

   www.vocabulary.com › dictionary › work

   The actual tasks you perform at your workplace — what you get paid for — are also called work. Your work might consist of answering the phone or baking bread or doing the accounting. Work can also be a verb describing doing some kind of activity, often one associated with your job.

7. www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com › definition › englishwork verb - Definition, pictures, pronunciation and usage notes...

   www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com › definition › english

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   Learn the meaning, pronunciation and grammar of the verb work in English. Find out how to use work in different contexts, such as jobs, tasks, machines, effects and more.

8. www.collinsdictionary.com › dictionary › englishWORK definition and meaning | Collins English Dictionary

   www.collinsdictionary.com › dictionary › english

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   Learn the various meanings and uses of the word work as a verb, noun, and adjective. Find synonyms, examples, and grammar tips for work in different contexts.

9. dictionary.cambridge.org › dictionary › learner-englishWORK | meaning - Cambridge Learner's Dictionary

   dictionary.cambridge.org › dictionary › learner-english

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   Learn the meaning of work as a verb and a noun, with different senses and usage. Find out how to use work in phrases, idioms and expressions, and see translations in other languages.