To work a passage (Naut.), to pay for a passage by doing work. — To
work double tides (Naut.), to perform the labor of three days in two; —
a phrase which alludes to a practice of working by the night tide as
well as by the day. — To work in, to insert, introduce, mingle, or
interweave by labor or skill. — To work into, to force, urge, or
insinuate into; as, to work one's self into favor or confidence. — To
work off, to remove gradually, as by labor, or a gradual process; as,
beer works off impurities in fermenting. — To work out. (a) To effect
by labor and exertion. "Work out your own salvation with fear and
trembling." Phil. ii. 12. (b) To erase; to efface. [R.]
Tears of joy for your returning spilt, Work out and expiate our former
guilt.
Dryden.
(c) To solve, as a problem. (d) To exhaust, as a mine, by working. — To
work up. (a) To raise; to excite; to stir up; as, to work up the
passions to rage.
The sun, that rolls his chariot o'er their heads, Works up more fire
and color in their cheeks.
Addison.
(b) To expend in any work, as materials; as, they have worked up all
the stock. (c) (Naut.) To make over or into something else, as yarns
drawn from old rigging, made into spun yarn, foxes, sennit, and the
like; also, to keep constantly at work upon needless matters, as a crew
in order to punish them. R. H. Dana, Jr.
Work"a*ble (?), a. Capable of being worked, or worth working; as, a
workable mine; workable clay.
Work"a*day` (?), n. See Workyday.
Work"bag` (?), n. A bag for holding implements or materials for work;
especially, a reticule, or bag for holding needlework, and the like.
Work"bas`ket (?), n. A basket for holding materials for needlework, or
the like.
Work"bench` (?), n. A bench on which work is performed, as in a
carpenter's shop.
Work"box` (?), n. A box for holding instruments or materials for work.
Work"day` (?), n. & a. [AS. weorcdæg.] A day on which work is
performed, as distinguished from Sunday, festivals, etc., a working
day.
Work"er (?), n. 1. One who, or that which, works; a laborer; a
performer; as, a worker in brass.
Professors of holiness, but workers of iniquity.
Shak.
2. (Zoöl.) One of the neuter, or sterile, individuals of the social
ants, bees, and white ants. The workers are generally females having
the sexual organs imperfectly developed. See Ant, and White ant, under
White.
Work"fel`low (?), n. One engaged in the same work with another; a
companion in work.
Work"folk` (?), n. People that labor.