资料来源 : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

Work \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.


      (a) To put in order in a particular manner; to prepare;
          as, to set (that is, to hone) a razor; to set a saw.

                Tables for to sette, and beddes make. --Chaucer.
      (b) To extend and bring into position; to spread; as, to
          set the sails of a ship.
      (c) To give a pitch to, as a tune; to start by fixing the
          keynote; as, to set a psalm. --Fielding.
      (d) To reduce from a dislocated or fractured state; to
          replace; as, to set a broken bone.
      (e) To make to agree with some standard; as, to set a
          watch or a clock.
      (f) (Masonry) To lower into place and fix solidly, as the
          blocks of cut stone in a structure.

   6. To stake at play; to wager; to risk.

            I have set my life upon a cast, And I will stand the
            hazard of the die.                    --Shak.

   7. To fit with music; to adapt, as words to notes; to prepare
      for singing.

            Set thy own songs, and sing them to thy lute.
                                                  --Dryden.

   8. To determine; to appoint; to assign; to fix; as, to set a
      time for a meeting; to set a price on a horse.

   9. To adorn with something infixed or affixed; to stud; to
      variegate with objects placed here and there.

            High on their heads, with jewels richly set, Each
            lady wore a radiant coronet.          --Dryden.

            Pastoral dales thin set with modern farms.
                                                  --Wordsworth.

   10. To value; to rate; -- with at.

             Be you contented, wearing now the garland, To have
             a son set your decrees at naught.    --Shak.

             I do not set my life at a pin's fee. --Shak.

   11. To point out the seat or position of, as birds, or other
       game; -- said of hunting dogs.

   12. To establish as a rule; to furnish; to prescribe; to
       assign; as, to set an example; to set lessons to be
       learned.

   13. To suit; to become; as, it sets him ill. [Scot.]

   14. (Print.) To compose; to arrange in words, lines, etc.;
       as, to set type; to set a page.

   {To set abroach}. See {Abroach}. [Obs.] --Shak.

   {To set against}, to oppose; to set in comparison with, or to
      oppose to, as an equivalent in exchange; as, to set one
      thing against another.

   {To set agoing}, to cause to move.

   {To set apart}, to separate to a particular use; to separate
      from the rest; to reserve.

   {To set a saw}, to bend each tooth a little, every alternate
      one being bent to one side, and the intermediate ones to
      the other side, so that the opening made by the saw may be
      a little wider than the thickness of the back, to prevent
      the saw from sticking.

   {To set aside}.
       (a) To leave out of account; to pass by; to omit; to
           neglect; to reject; to annul.

                 Setting aside all other considerations, I will
                 endeavor to know the truth, and yield to that.
                                                  --Tillotson.
       (b) To set apart; to reserve; as, to set aside part of
           one's income.
       (c) (Law) See under {Aside}.

   {To set at defiance}, to defy.

   {To set at ease}, to quiet; to tranquilize; as, to set the
      heart at ease.

   {To set at naught}, to undervalue; to contemn; to despise.
      ``Ye have set at naught all my counsel.'' --Prov. i. 25.
      

   {To set a} {trap, snare, or gin}, to put it in a proper
      condition or position to catch prey; hence, to lay a plan
      to deceive and draw another into one's power.

   {To set at work}, or {To set to work}.
       (a) To cause to enter on work or action, or to direct how
           tu enter on work.
       (b) To apply one's self; -- used reflexively.

   {To set before}.
       (a) To bring out to view before; to exhibit.
       (b) To propose for choice to; to offer to.

   {To set by}.
       (a) To set apart or on one side; to reject.
       (b) To attach the value of (anything) to. ``I set not a
           straw by thy dreamings.'' --Chaucer.

   {To set by the compass}, to observe and note the bearing or
      situation of by the compass.

   {To set case}, to suppose; to assume. Cf. {Put case}, under
      {Put}, v. t. [Obs.] --Chaucer.

   {To set down}.
       (a) To enter in writing; to register.

                 Some rules were to be set down for the
                 government of the army.          --Clarendon.
       (b) To fix; to establish; to ordain.

                 This law we may name eternal, being that order
                 which God . . . hath set down with himself, for
                 himself to do all things by.     --Hooker.
       (c) To humiliate.

   {To set eyes on}, to see; to behold; to fasten the eyes on.
      

   {To set fire to}, or {To set on fire}, to communicate fire
      to; fig., to inflame; to enkindle the passions of; to
      irritate.

   {To set flying} (Naut.), to hook to halyards, sheets, etc.,
      instead of extending with rings or the like on a stay; --
      said of a sail.

   {To set forth}.
       (a) To manifest; to offer or present to view; to exhibt;
           to display.
       (b) To publish; to promulgate; to make appear. --Waller.
       (c) To send out; to prepare and send. [Obs.]

                 The Venetian admiral had a fleet of sixty
                 galleys, set forth by the Venetians. --Knolles.

   {To set forward}.
       (a) To cause to advance.
       (b) To promote.

   {To set free}, to release from confinement, imprisonment, or
      bondage; to liberate; to emancipate.

   {To set in}, to put in the way; to begin; to give a start to.
      [Obs.]

            If you please to assist and set me in, I will
            recollect myself.                     --Collier.

   {To set in order}, to adjust or arrange; to reduce to method.
      ``The rest will I set in order when I come.'' --1 Cor. xi.
      34.

   {To set milk}.
       (a) To expose it in open dishes in order that the cream
           may rise to the surface.
       (b) To cause it to become curdled as by the action of
           rennet. See 4
       (e) .

   {To set} {much, or little}, {by}, to care much, or little,
      for.

   {To set of}, to value; to set by. [Obs.] ``I set not an haw
      of his proverbs.'' --Chaucer.

   {To set off}.
       (a) To separate from a whole; to assign to a particular
           purpose; to portion off; as, to set off a portion of
           an estate.
       (b) To adorn; to decorate; to embellish.

                 They . . . set off the worst faces with the
                 best airs.                       --Addison.
       (c) To give a flattering description of.

   {To set off against}, to place against as an equivalent; as,
      to set off one man's services against another's.

   {To set} {on or upon}.
       (a) To incite; to instigate. ``Thou, traitor, hast set on
           thy wife to this.'' --Shak.
       (b) To employ, as in a task. `` Set on thy wife to
           observe.'' --Shak.
       (c) To fix upon; to attach strongly to; as, to set one's
           heart or affections on some object. See definition 2,
           above.

   {To set one's cap for}. See under {Cap}, n.

   {To set one's self against}, to place one's self in a state
      of enmity or opposition to.

   {To set one's teeth}, to press them together tightly.

   {To set on foot}, to set going; to put in motion; to start.
      

   {To set out}.
       (a) To assign; to allot; to mark off; to limit; as, to
           set out the share of each proprietor or heir of an
           estate; to set out the widow's thirds.
       (b) To publish, as a proclamation. [Obs.]
       (c) To adorn; to embellish.

                 An ugly woman, in rich habit set out with
                 jewels, nothing can become.      --Dryden.
       (d) To raise, equip, and send forth; to furnish. [R.]

                 The Venetians pretend they could set out, in
                 case of great necessity, thirty men-of-war.
                                                  --Addison.
       (e) To show; to display; to recommend; to set off.

                 I could set out that best side of Luther.
                                                  --Atterbury.
       (f) To show; to prove. [R.] ``Those very reasons set out
           how heinous his sin was.'' --Atterbury.
       (g) (Law) To recite; to state at large.