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), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Worked (wûrkt), or Wrought (rt); 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, n.]
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?
Shak.
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.
Shak.
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.