the form of the verb work used with he, she, or it in the present tense
He works in a hospital downtown.
The lamp works when you plug it in.
doing a job or activity, especially to earn money or achieve a goal
She is working quietly in the library to finish her homework.
The farmers were working in the fields from dawn until dusk.
✦ Present participle of the Old English verb “wyrcan,” meaning to do or make.
the place where you do your job
I’ll meet you after work at the café on King Street.
Tom forgot his lunch at work, so he went back to get it.
to do a job to earn money
She works as a nurse at the city hospital.
I used to work in a bookstore during college.
physical or mental effort you use to do a task or reach a goal
After three hours of steady work, the students finished painting the scenery for the play.
Digging the new garden bed turned out to be much harder work than we expected.
✦ Old English ‘weorc’, of Germanic origin, related to Dutch ‘werk’ and German ‘Werk’, meaning deed or action.
to function or operate correctly
My laptop won’t work unless it’s plugged in.
The lift is finally working again after the repair.
pieces of writing, music, art, etc. that someone has created
In literature class, we studied the works of Jane Austen.
The museum bought several rare works by the painter.
a piece of art, music, literature, or other creative product
The museum bought a famous work by the impressionist painter.
Her latest work is a novel set in 19th-century India.
to succeed or have the desired effect
If this plan doesn’t work, we’ll try another.
The medicine worked quickly, and his headache disappeared.
a person who is employed to do a job, especially one paid by wages or salary
At the factory, every worker wears a bright orange safety vest.
The new policy promises higher wages for every worker in the company.
✦ Old English ‘wyrċere’ from ‘wyrcan’ (“work”) + ‘-er’, meaning a person who works.
having a paid job
As a working father, he balances office duties with family life.
The company offers childcare support for working mothers.
to develop or improve something by discussing it and trying it out with a group
The playwright decided to workshop the new script with local actors.
We workshopped several logo ideas before choosing the final design.
✦ Verb use dates from the 1950s, extended from the noun sense of a collaborative space into the idea of collaborative development.
