work

Definitions

1. 1noun

   Exertion of strength or faculties; physical or intellectual effort directed to an end; industrial activity; toil; employment; sometimes, specifically, physically labor.

2. 2noun

   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.

3. 3noun

   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.

4. 4noun

   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.

5. 5noun

   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.

6. 6noun

   The moving parts of a mechanism; as, the works of a watch.

7. 7noun

   Manner of working; management; treatment; as, unskillful work spoiled the effect.

8. 8noun

   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.

9. 9noun

   Ore before it is dressed.

10. 10noun

    Performance of moral duties; righteous conduct.

11. 11noun

    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.

12. 12noun

    Hence, in a general sense, to operate; to act; to perform; as, a machine works well.

13. 13noun

    Hence, figuratively, to be effective; to have effect or influence; to conduce.

14. 14noun

    To carry on business; to be engaged or employed customarily; to perform the part of a laborer; to labor; to toil.

15. 15noun

    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.

16. 16noun

    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.

17. 17noun

    To ferment, as a liquid.

18. 18noun

    To act or operate on the stomach and bowels, as a cathartic.

19. 19transitive verb

    To labor or operate upon; to give exertion and effort to; to prepare for use, or to utilize, by labor.

20. 20transitive verb

    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.

21. 21transitive verb

    To produce by slow degrees, or as if laboriously; to bring gradually into any state by action or motion.

22. 22transitive verb

    To influence by acting upon; to prevail upon; to manage; to lead.

23. 23transitive verb

    To form with a needle and thread or yarn; especially, to embroider; as, to work muslin.

24. 24transitive verb

    To set in motion or action; to direct the action of; to keep at work; to govern; to manage; as, to work a machine.

25. 25transitive verb

    To cause to ferment, as liquor.

26. 26noun

    activity directed toward making or doing something

    "she checked several points needing further work"

27. 27noun

    the occupation for which you are paid

    "he is looking for employment"

    "a lot of people are out of work"

    Synonyms

    employment
28. 28noun

    the total output of a writer or artist (or a substantial part of it)

    "he studied the entire Wagnerian oeuvre"

    "Picasso's work can be divided into periods"

    Synonyms

    oeuvre
29. 29noun

    a product produced or accomplished through the effort or activity or agency of a person or thing

    "it is not regarded as one of his more memorable works"

    "the symphony was hailed as an ingenious work"

30. 30noun

    a place where work is done

    "he arrived at work early today"

    Synonyms

    workplace
31. 31noun

    applying the mind to learning and understanding a subject (especially by reading)

    "mastering a second language requires a lot of work"

    "no schools offer graduate study in interior design"

    Synonyms

    study
32. 32noun

    (physics) a manifestation of energy; the transfer of energy from one physical system to another expressed as the product of a force and the distance through which it moves a body in the direction of that force

    "work equals force times distance"

33. 33verb

    give a workout to

    "Some parents exercise their infants"

    "My personal trainer works me hard"

    Synonyms

    exercise
34. 34verb

    arrive at a certain condition through repeated motion

    "The stitches of the hem worked loose after she wore the skirt many times"

35. 35verb

    go sour or spoil

    "The milk has soured"

    "The wine worked"

    Synonyms

    fermentsourturn
36. 36verb

    cause to undergo fermentation

    "We ferment the grapes for a very long time to achieve high alcohol content"

    "The vintner worked the wine in big oak vats"

    Synonyms

    ferment
37. 37verb

    find the solution to (a problem or question) or understand the meaning of

    "did you solve the problem?"

    "Work out your problems with the boss"

    Synonyms

    licksolve
38. 38verb

    use or manipulate to one's advantage

    "He exploit the new taxation system"

    "She knows how to work the system"

    Synonyms

    exploit
39. 39verb

    make uniform

    "knead dough"

    "work the clay until it is soft"

    Synonyms

    knead
40. 40verb

    perform as expected when applied

    "The washing machine won't go unless it's plugged in"

    "Does this old car still run well?"

    Synonyms

    functiongooperaterun
41. 41verb

    move into or onto

    "work the raisins into the dough"

    "the student worked a few jokes into his presentation"

42. 42verb

    cause to happen or to occur as a consequence

    "I cannot work a miracle"

    "wreak havoc"

    Synonyms

    bringplaywreak
43. 43verb

    make something, usually for a specific function

    "She molded the rice balls carefully"

    "Form cylinders from the dough"

    Synonyms

    forgeformmoldmouldshape
44. 44verb

    shape, form, or improve a material

    "work stone into tools"

    "process iron"

    Synonyms

    process
45. 45verb

    prepare for crops

    "Work the soil"

    "cultivate the land"

    Synonyms

    cropcultivate
46. 46verb

    gratify and charm, usually in order to influence

    "the political candidate worked the crowds"

47. 47verb

    move in an agitated manner

    "His fingers worked with tension"

48. 48verb

    proceed along a path

    "work one's way through the crowd"

    "make one's way into the forest"

    Synonyms

    make
49. 49verb

    provoke or excite

    "The rock musician worked the crowd of young girls into a frenzy"

50. 50verb

    proceed towards a goal or along a path or through an activity

    "work your way through every problem or task"

    "She was working on her second martini when the guests arrived"

51. 51verb

    cause to work

    "he is working his servants hard"

52. 52verb

    be employed

    "Is your husband working again?"

    "My wife never worked"

53. 53verb

    exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity

    "I will work hard to improve my grades"

    "she worked hard for better living conditions for the poor"

54. 54verb

    cause to operate or function

    "This pilot works the controls"

    "Can you work an electric drill?"

55. 55verb

    operate in or through

    "Work the phones"

56. 56verb

    have an effect or outcome; often the one desired or expected

    "The voting process doesn't work as well as people thought"

    "How does your idea work in practice?"

    Synonyms

    act
57. 57verb

    have and exert influence or effect

    "The artist's work influenced the young painter"

    "She worked on her friends to support the political candidate"

    Synonyms

    influence
58. 58verb

    operate in a certain place, area, or specialty

    "She works the night clubs"

    "The salesman works the Midwest"

59. 59verb

    behave in a certain way when handled

    "This dough does not work easily"

    "The soft metal works well"