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Webster 1913 Edition

Work

Work

(wûrk)
,
Noun.
[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. ga
waúrki
, Gr.
ἔργον
, ϝ
έργον
, work,
ῥέζειν
to do,
ὄργανον
an instrument,
ὄργια
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.
Shakespeare
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
.
Shakespeare
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.
Shakespeare
(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.

Work

(wûrk)
,
Verb.
I.
[
imp. & p. p.
Worked
(wûrkt)
, or
Wrought
(ra̤t)
;
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
,
Noun.
]
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?
Shakespeare
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.
Shakespeare
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)
,
Verb.
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.

Webster 1828 Edition

Work

WORK

,
Verb.
I.
[G., Gr.]
1.
In a general sense, to move, or to move one way and the other; to perform; as in popular language it is said, a mill or machine works well.
2.
To labor; to be occupied in performing manual labor, whether severe or moderate. One man works better than another; one man works hare; another works lazily.
3.
To be in action or motion; as the working of the heart.
4.
To act; to carry on operations.
Our better part remains to work in close design.
5.
To operate; to carry on business; to be customarily engaged or employed in. Some work in the mines, others in the loom, others at the anvil.
They that work in fine flax. Isaiah 19.
6.
To ferment; as, unfermented liquors work violently in hot weather.
7.
To operate; to produce effects by action or influence.
All things work together for good to them that love God. Roman 8.
This so wrought upon the child, that afterwards he desired to be taught.
8.
To obtain by diligence. [Little used.]
9.
To act or operate on the stomach and bowels; as a cathartic.
10.
To labor; to strain; to move heavily; as, a ship works in a tempest.
11.
To be tossed or agitated.
Confusd with working sands and rolling waves.
12.
To enter by working; as, to work into the earth.
To work on, to act on; to influence.
To work up, to make way.
Body shall up to spirit work.
To work tot windward, among seamen, to sail or ply against the wind; to beat.

WORK

,
Verb.
T.
1.
To move; to stir and mix; as, to work mortar.
2.
To form by labor; to mold, shape or manufacture; as, to work wood or iron into a form desired, or into an utensil; to work cotton or wool into cloth.
3.
To bring into any state by action. A foul stream, or new wine or cider, works itself clear.
4.
To influence by acting upon; to manage; to lead.
An work your royal father to his ruin.
5.
To make by action, labor or violence. A stream works a passage or a new channel.
Sidelong he works his way.
6.
To produce by action, labor or exertion.
We might work any effect--only by the unity of nature.
Each herb he knew, that works or good or ill.
7.
To embroider; as, to work muslin.
8.
To direct the movements of, by adapting the sails to the wind; as, to work a ship.
9.
To put to labor; to exert.
Work every nerve.
10.
To cause to ferment, as liquor.
To work out,
1.
To effect by labor and exertion.
Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. Philippians 2.
2. To expend in any work, as materials. They have worked up all the stock.
To work double tides, in the language of seamen, to perform the labor of three days in two; a phrase taken from the practice f working by the night tide as well as by the day.
To work into, to make way, or to insinuate; as, to work ones self into favor or confidence.
To work a passage, among seamen, to pay for a passage by doing duty on board of the ship.

WORK

,
Noun.
[G., Gr.]
1.
Labor; employment; exertion of strength; particularly in man, manual labor.
2.
State of labor; as, to be at work.
3.
Awkward performance. What work you make!
4.
That which is made or done; as good work, or bad work.
5.
Embroidery; flowers or figures wrought with the needle.
6.
Any fabric or manufacture
7.
The matter on which one is at work. In rising she dropped her work.
8.
Action; deed; feat; achievement; as the works of bloody Mars.
9.
Operation.
As to the composition or dissolution of mixed bodies, which is the chief work of elements--
10.
Effect; that which proceeds from agency.
Fancy wild work produces oft, and most in dreams.
11.
Management; treatment.
12.
That which is produced by mental labor; a composition; a book; as the works of Addison.
13.
Works, in the plural, walls, trenches and the like, made for fortifications.
14.
In theology, moral duties or external performances, as distinct from grace.
To set to work, To set on work, to employ; to engage in any business.

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