1. [n]  activity directed toward making or doing something; "she checked several points needing further work"
2. [n]  the occupation for which you are paid; "he is looking for employment"; "a lot of people are out of work"
3. [n]  the total output of a writer or artist (or a substantial part of it); "he studied the entire Wagnerian oeuvre"; "Picasso's work can be divided into periods"
4. [n]  a product produced or accomplished through the effort or activity or agency of a person or thing; "it is not regarded as one of his more memorable works"; "the symphony was hailed as an ingenious work"; "he was indebted to the pioneering work of John Dewey"; "the work of an active imagination"; "erosion is the work of wind or water over time"
5. [n]  a place where work is done; "he arrived at work early today"
6. [n]  applying the mind to learning and understanding a subject (especially by reading); "mastering a second language requires a lot of work"; "no schools offer graduate study in interior design"
7. [n]  (physics) a manifestation of energy; the transfer of energy from one physical system to another expressed as the product of a force and the distance through which it moves a body in the direction of that force; "work equals force times distance"
8. [v]  give a work-out to; "Some parents exercise their infants"; "My personal trainer works me hard"; "work one's muscles"
9. [v]  arrive at a certain condition through repeated motion; "The stitches of the hem worked loose after she wore the skirt many times"
10. [v]  go sour or spoil; "The milk has soured"; "The wine worked"; "The cream has turned--we have to throw it out"
11. [v]  cause to undergo fermentation; "We ferment the grapes for a very long time to achieve high alcohol content"; "The vintner worked the wine in big oak vats"
12. [v]  find the solution to (a problem or question) or udnerstand the meaning of; "did you solve the problem?"; "Work out your problems with the boss"; "this unpleasant situation isn't going to work itself out"; "did you get it?"; "Did you get my meaning?"; "He could not work the math problem"
13. [v]  use or manipulate to one's advantage; "He exploit the new taxation system"; "She knows how to work the system"; "he works his parents for sympathy"
14. [v]  make something, usually for a specific function; "She molded the riceballs carefully"; "Form cylinders from the dough"; "shape a figure"; "Work the metal into a sword"
15. [v]  make uniform; "knead dough"; "work the clay until it is soft"
16. [v]  perform as expected when applied; "The washing machine won't go unless it's plugged in"; "Does this old car still run well?"; "This old radio doesn't work anymore"
17. [v]  move into or onto; "work the raisins into the dough"; "the student worked a few jokes into his presentation"; "work the body onto the flatbed truck"
18. [v]  cause to happen or to occur as a consequence; "I cannot work a miracle"; "wreak havoc"; "bring comments"; "play a joke"; "The rain brought relief to the drought-stricken area"
19. [v]  shape, form, or improve a material; "work stone into tools"; "process iron"; "work the metal"
20. [v]  prepare for crops; "Work the soil"; "cultivate the land"
21. [v]  gratify and charm, usually in order to influence; "the political candidate worked the crowds"
22. [v]  move in ran agitated manner; "His fingers worked with tension"
23. [v]  proceed along a path; "work one's way through the crowd"; "make one's way into the forest"
24. [v]  provoke or excite; "The rock musician worked the crowd of young girls into a frenzy"
25. [v]  proceed towards a goal or along a path or through an activity; "work your way through every problem or task"; "She was working on her second martini when the guests arrived"; "Start from the bottom and work towards the top"
26. [v]  cause to work; "he is working his servants hard"
27. [v]  be employed; "Is your husband working again?"; "My wife never worked"; "Do you want to work after the age of 60?"; "She never did any work because she inherited a lot of money"; "She works as a waitress to put herself through college"
28. [v]  exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity; "I will work hard to improve my grades"; "she worked hard for better living conditions for the poor"
29. [v]  cause to operate or function; "This pilot works the controls"; "Can you work an electric drill?"
30. [v]  operate in or through; "Work the phones"
31. [v]  have an effect or outcome; often the one desired or expected; "The voting process doesn't work as well as people thought"; "How does your idea work in practice?"; "This method doesn't work"; "The breaks of my new car act quickly"; "The medicine works only if you take it with a lot of water"
32. [v]  have and exert influence or effect; "The artist's work influenced the young painter"; "She worked on her friends to support the political candidate"
33. [v]  operate in a certain place, area, or specialty; "She works the night clubs"; "The salesman works the Midwest"; "This artist works mostly in acrylics"
34. [v]  behave in a certain way when handled; "This dough does not work easily"; "The soft metal works well"

Work
A volume celebrating the comic strip's twenty-fifth anniversary follows the career foibles of would-be-empowered Cathy as well as her ongoing quest for the perfect bathing suit and freedom from healthy temptation. Original.

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1. \Work\, n.
   1. (Cricket) Break; twist. [Cant]
   2. (Mech.) The causing of motion against a resisting force,
      measured by the product of the force into the component of
      the motion resolved along the direction of the force.
            Energy is the capacity of doing work. . . . Work is
            the transference of energy from one system to
            another.                              --Clerk
                                                  Maxwell.
   3. (Mining) Ore before it is dressed.
   

2. \Work\, n. [OE. work, werk, weork, AS. weorc, worc; akin to
   OFries. werk, wirk, OS., D., & G. werk, OHG. werc, werah,
   Icel. & Sw. verk, Dan. v[ae]rk, Goth. gawa['u]rki, Gr. ?, ?,
   work, ? to do, ? an instrument, ? secret rites, Zend verez to
   work. ????. Cf. {Bulwark}, {Energy}, {Erg}, {Georgic},
   {Liturgy}, {Metallurgy}, {Organ}, {Surgeon}, {Wright}.]
   1. Exertion of strength or faculties; physical or
      intellectual effort directed to an end; industrial
      activity; toil; employment; sometimes, specifically,
      physically labor.
            Man hath his daily work of body or mind Appointed.
                                                  --Milton.
   2. The matter on which one is at work; that upon which one
      spends labor; material for working upon; subject of
      exertion; the thing occupying one; business; duty; as, to
      take up one's work; to drop one's work.
            Come on, Nerissa; I have work in hand That you yet
            know not of.                          --Shak.
            In every work that he began . . . he did it with all
            his heart, and prospered.             --2 Chron.
                                                  xxxi. 21.
   3. That which is produced as the result of labor; anything
      accomplished by exertion or toil; product; performance;
      fabric; manufacture; in a more general sense, act, deed,
      service, effect, result, achievement, feat.
            To leave no rubs or blotches in the work. --Shak.
            The work some praise, And some the architect.
                                                  --Milton.
            Fancy . . . Wild work produces oft, and most in
            dreams.                               --Milton.
            The composition or dissolution of mixed bodies . . .
            is the chief work of elements.        --Sir K.
                                                  Digby.
   4. Specifically:
      (a) That which is produced by mental labor; a composition;
          a book; as, a work, or the works, of Addison.
      (b) Flowers, figures, or the like, wrought with the
          needle; embroidery.
                I am glad I have found this napkin; . . . I'll
                have the work ta'en out, And give 't Iago.
                                                  --Shak.
      (c) pl. Structures in civil, military, or naval
          engineering, as docks, bridges, embankments, trenches,
          fortifications, and the like; also, the structures and
          grounds of a manufacturing establishment; as, iron
          works; locomotive works; gas works.
      (d) pl. The moving parts of a mechanism; as, the works of
          a watch.
   5. Manner of working; management; treatment; as, unskillful
      work spoiled the effect. --Bp. Stillingfleet.
   6. (Mech.) The causing of motion against a resisting force.
      The amount of work is proportioned to, and is measured by,
      the product of the force into the amount of motion along
      the direction of the force. See {Conservation of energy},
      under {Conservation}, {Unit of work}, under {Unit}, also
      {Foot pound}, {Horse power}, {Poundal}, and {Erg}.
            Energy is the capacity of doing work . . . Work is
            the transference of energy from one system to
            another.                              --Clerk
                                                  Maxwell.
   7. (Mining) Ore before it is dressed. --Raymond.
   8. pl. (Script.) Performance of moral duties; righteous
      conduct.
            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.
   

3. \Work\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Worked}, or {Wrought}; 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.
   wa['u]rkjan. [root]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.
   7. To ferment, as a liquid.
            The working of beer when the barm is put in.
                                                  --Bacon.
   8. To act or operate on the stomach and bowels, as a
      cathartic.
            Purges . . . work best, that is, cause the blood so
            to do, . . . in warm weather or in a warm room.
                                                  --Grew.
   {To work at}, to be engaged in or upon; to be employed in.
   {To work to windward} (Naut.), to sail or ply against the
      wind; to tack to windward. --Mar. Dict.
   

4. \Work\, v. t.
   1. To labor or operate upon; to give exertion and effort to;
      to prepare for use, or to utilize, by labor.
            He could have told them of two or three gold mines,
            and a silver mine, and given the reason why they
            forbare to work them at that time.    --Sir W.
                                                  Raleigh.
   2. To produce or form by labor; to bring forth by exertion or
      toil; to accomplish; to originate; to effect; as, to work
      wood or iron into a form desired, or into a utensil; to
      work cotton or wool into cloth.
            Each herb he knew, that works or good or ill.
                                                  --Harte.
   3. To produce by slow degrees, or as if laboriously; to bring
      gradually into any state by action or motion. ``Sidelong
      he works his way.'' --Milton.
            So the pure, limpid stream, when foul with stains Of
            rushing torrents and descending rains, Works itself
            clear, and as it runs, refines, Till by degrees the
            floating mirror shines.               --Addison.
   4. To influence by acting upon; to prevail upon; to manage;
      to lead. ``Work your royal father to his ruin.''
      --Philips.
   5. To form with a needle and thread or yarn; especially, to
      embroider; as, to work muslin.
   6. To set in motion or action; to direct the action of; to
      keep at work; to govern; to manage; as, to work a machine.
            Knowledge in building and working ships.
                                                  --Arbuthnot.
            Now, Marcus, thy virtue's the proof; Put forth thy
            utmost strength, work every nerve.    --Addison.
            The mariners all 'gan work the ropes, Where they
            were wont to do.                      --Coleridge.
   7. To cause to ferment, as liquor.
   {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.