work

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   Activity that you do to make or achieve something, especially as a job.

   I still have a lot of work to finish before Friday.

2. 2
   noun

   The place where someone does their job.

   They arrived at work early today.

3. 3
   verb

   To do a job or task, especially to earn money.

   She works in a hospital as a nurse.

4. 4
   verb

   To function correctly; to operate.

   The printer isn't working again.

5. 5
   noun

   Something made by an artist, writer, or musician.

   This painting is one of his finest works.

Multiword verbs with work

• work off Phrasal verb A1

  to reduce or get rid of something through effort or work

• work over Phrasal verb A1

  to beat someone severely

Appears in

Simplified etymology

Work comes from Old English and belongs to an ancient word family connected with Greek ergon, “work.” Its relatives include wrought, the old past form of work, and wright, “maker,” as well as the Greek-derived words energy and ergonomic.

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *werǵ- Proto-Indo-European *-om Proto-Indo-European *wérǵom Proto-Germanic *werką Proto-West Germanic *werk Old English weorc Middle English werk English work From Middle English work, werk, from Old English weorc, from Proto-West Germanic *werk, from Proto-Germanic *werką (“work”), from Proto-Indo-European *wérǵom (“work”), from Proto-Indo-European *werǵ- (“to make”). Cognates Cognate with Scots wark (“work”), North Frisian werk (“work”), Saterland Frisian Wierk (“work”), West Frisian wurk (“work”), Dutch werk (“work”), German Werk (“work”), German Low Germa…

Topics

External links

• Google Images
• Cambridge Dictionary
• Wiktionary