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| work [ wurk ] |
noun (plural works) |
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| Definition: |
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1. paid job: paid employment at a job
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2. duties of job: the duties or activities that are part of a job or occupation
  Much of my work involves talking on the phone.
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3. somebody's place of employment: the place where somebody is employed
spends all her time at work
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4. time spent at place of employment: the time that somebody spends carrying out his or her job
I'll meet you after work.
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5. purposeful effort: the physical or mental effort directed at doing or making something
It was a lot of work, but it was worth it.
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6. function: the function of completing a process or carrying out a task
Computers have taken over the work of filing.
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7. something done or made: something that has been done or made as part of a job or as a result of effort or activity requiring skill
(
often used in combination
)
Your work is satisfactory.
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8. something manufactured: something that has been or is in the process of being worked on or manufactured
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9. artistic or intellectual creation: an artistic or intellectual composition, e.g. a book, treatise, painting, sculpture, film, or piece of music
(
often used in the plural
)
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10. physics means for energy transfer: the transfer of energy, measured as the product of the force applied to a body and the distance moved by that body in the direction of the force.
Symbol W
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verb (past and past participle worked, present participle work·ing, 3rd person present singular works) |
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| Definition: |
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1. intransitive verb have job: to have a paid job
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2. transitive and intransitive verb exert effort: to exert physical or mental effort in order to do, make, or accomplish something, or make somebody do this
worked without a break until evening
He works his staff hard.
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3. transitive and intransitive verb function: to function or operate, or make something do this
The television doesn't work.
Do you know how to work the burglar alarm?
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4. intransitive verb be successful: to be effective or achieve a desired result
Our relationship just isn't working.
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5. transitive and intransitive verb work in specific place: to carry on an operation or activity in a particular place or area
You'll be working the southern region.
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6. intransitive verb exert influence: to produce results or exert an influence
Everything seemed to be working against them.
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7. transitive and intransitive verb shape something: to shape, bend, form, or forge a material, or be shaped, bent, formed, or forged
worked the malleable metal
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8. transitive verb cultivate land: to cultivate land in order to grow crops on it
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9. transitive verb achieve something: to effect something or bring something about
Attention to detail can work wonders.
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10. transitive and intransitive verb attain particular condition: to attain a particular condition slowly or gradually, or cause something to do this
The screw worked itself loose.
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11. transitive and intransitive verb move slowly and with effort: to move or progress slowly and with effort, or make something do this
He worked his way through the crowd.
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12. transitive verb solve mathematical problem: to solve a mathematical problem or puzzle
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13. transitive and intransitive verb exercise: to move or exercise a muscle or part of the body, or be moved or exercised
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14. transitive verb provoke emotional response in somebody: to arouse or stir up emotions in somebody
worked the crowd into a frenzy
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15. transitive verb charm somebody: to use charm and personal influence on somebody in order to attain popularity or acclaim
a politician who really knew how to work a crowd
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16. transitive verb arrange something: to arrange or exploit something in order to gain an advantage
(
informal
)
He managed to work it so that he got every other Friday off.
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17. transitive and intransitive verb ferment: to ferment, or make something ferment
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18. transitive verb handicraft make something in needlework: to make or decorate something by hand in needlework or embroidery
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19. intransitive verb mechanical engineering move loosely: to move in a loose way that results in friction and wear
(
refers to machinery
)
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20. intransitive verb nautical strain slightly in rough water: to give slightly in rough water so that the joints move slightly and the fastenings become looser
(
refers to boats
)
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21. intransitive verb sailing sail into wind: to sail against the wind
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| [ Old English weorc< Indo-European] |
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at work
1. engaged in employment
2. in operation
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have your work cut out (for you) to be faced with a difficult task
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make short work of somebody or something to dispose of or deal with somebody or something very quickly
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work to rule U.S. U.K. Australia New Zealand to take part in a labor protest in which workers make a point of adhering strictly to the rules of the workplace so that work will slow down
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| Word Key: Synonyms |
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work, labor, toil, drudgery
CORE MEANING: sustained effort required to achieve something
work the physical or mental effort directed at doing or making something, or the function of completing a process or carrying out a task;
You will have general managers to coordinate your work.
Most installation programs will do all the work for you.
labor work done using the strength of the body;
Antony did casual manual labor in his vacations.
A group spent the day cleaning up the beach, and the results of their labor was a truckload of trash.
toil hard exhausting work or effort;
His rough hands bore testimony to a life of toil.
drudgery exhausting, boring, unpleasant work;
the drudgery of filing, coding, and organizing reams of documents |
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