WORK ON

Pronunciation (US):

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IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does work on mean? 

• WORK ON (verb)
  The verb WORK ON has 2 senses:

1. to exert effort in order to do, make, or perform something

2. shape, form, or improve a material

  Familiarity information: WORK ON used as a verb is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• WORK ON (verb)

Sense 1

Meaning:

To exert effort in order to do, make, or perform something

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Synonyms:

work at; work on

Context example:

the child worked at the multiplication table until she had it down cold

Hypernyms (to "work on" is one way to...):

work (exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "work on"):

belabor; belabour (to work at or to absurd length)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sense 2

Meaning:

Shape, form, or improve a material

Classified under:

Verbs of sewing, baking, painting, performing

Synonyms:

process; work; work on

Context example:

work the metal

Hypernyms (to "work on" is one way to...):

transform; transmute; transubstantiate (change or alter in form, appearance, or nature)

Verb group:

forge; form; mold; mould; shape; work (make something, usually for a specific function)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "work on"):

hot-work (roll, press, forge, or shape (metal) while hot)

cold work; coldwork (shape (metal) without heat)

overwork (use too much)

make over; retread; rework (use again in altered form)

rack (work on a rack)

tool (work with a tool)

till (work land as by ploughing, harrowing, and manuring, in order to make it ready for cultivation)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

 Context examples 

You must remember that we are dealing with a burglar who is a very peculiar fellow, and who appears to work on lines of his own.

(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Uranus will notice your work on your assignments and help you advance your professional status.

(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)

Put Cooky to work on it.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

Thousands of citizen scientists got to work on Kepler data in 2017 when Exoplanet Explorers launched.

(Multi-planet System Found Through Crowdsourcing, NASA)

Ever since I left you this morning, Emma, my mind has been hard at work on one subject.

(Emma, by Jane Austen)

We agreed to work on our own lines, Mr. Holmes.

(His Last Bow, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Why don't you try to get work on a newspaper, if you are so bound up in your writing?

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

According to the study's authors, the habitat preservation strategy that can be so effective in other species does not work on cheetahs because of their wide range.

(Around 7,100 cheetahs remain, say experts, Wikinews)

And you can work on muslin and canvas?

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

"Now, if you will help me sew the silk together, we will begin to work on our balloon."

(The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, by L. Frank Baum)