Skip to content
ontologydriven
Sign out

Dictionary

Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

working en · NOUN · etymology 1

Pronunciation

  • /ˈwɜːkɪŋ/ (Received-Pronunciation)
  • (General-American) audio
  • /ˈwɝkɪŋ/ (General-American)

Etymology

From Middle English werking, werkynge, warkynge, worchinge, from Old English wyrċing (“working”), verbal noun of wyrċan (“to work”), equivalent to work + -ing. Cognate with Scots wirking, warking, Dutch werking, German Wirkung.

Meanings

  1. (countable, plural-normally, uncountable) Operation; action.
  2. (countable, uncountable) Method of operation.
  3. (countable, uncountable) The incidental or subsidiary calculations performed in solving an overall problem.
    • Be sure to check your working.
  4. (countable, uncountable) Fermentation.
  5. (countable, of bodies of water, uncountable) Becoming full of a vegetable substance.
  6. (countable, uncountable) A place where work is carried on.
    • the abandoned mine workings
  7. (countable) A train movement.
    • From time to time the coaches of the Lötschberg Railway itself, which in comfort and décor can rank with the finest in Europe today, travel far from the frontiers of Switzerland on through workings such as these. 1960 December, Cecil J. Allen, “Operating a mountain main line: the Bern-Lötschberg-Simplon: Part One”, in Trains Illustrated, page 743:

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
workings Number=Plur lexicographic

Deriveds

even working · trip working · working capital requirement · vibe working · working lunch · leather working · cold working · working horse · warm working · working visit · homeworking · misworking · hybrid working · permissive working · miracle-working · home working · sex working · empty stock working

Translations (25)

fi työ (operation; action) · fi työskenteleminen (operation; action) · de Ansatz (method of operation) · ru оперирование (method of operation) · bg действие (operation; action) · fi työskentelytapa (method of operation) · pt funcionamento (method of operation) · ru действие (method of operation) · bg действие (method of operation) · fi rehevöityminen (becoming full of a vegetable substance) · ru ферментация (fermentation) · bg опериране (method of operation) · fr fonctionnement (method of operation) · bg обработка (method of operation) · bg ферментация (fermentation) · ru обработка (method of operation) · bg функциониране (operation; action) · ru способ (method of operation) · fi käyminen (fermentation) · pt serviço (operation; action) · ru действие (operation; action) · fi toimiminen (operation; action) · ru функционирование (operation; action) · fi toimintatapa (method of operation) · fi työn tekeminen (operation; action)

working en · ADJ · etymology 2

Pronunciation

  • /ˈwɜːkɪŋ/ (Received-Pronunciation)
  • (General-American) audio
  • /ˈwɝkɪŋ/ (General-American)

Etymology

From Middle English workyng, wirkynge, worchinge, werchinge, workinde, wirkand, worchende, wurchende, from Old English wyrċende, from Proto-Germanic *wurkijandz, present participle of Proto-Germanic *wurkijaną (“to work”), equivalent to work + -ing. Compare Scots wirkand, werkand, warkand (“working”), Dutch werkend (“working, acting”), German wirkend (“acting, working”).

Meanings

  1. (not-comparable) That is or are functioning.
    • a working ventilator
  2. (not-comparable) That suffices but requires additional work; provisional.
    • a working title
    • a working copy of the script
  3. (not-comparable) In paid employment.
    • Working mothers have recently joined the factory's workforce.
  4. (not-comparable) Of or relating to employment.
    • the working week
  5. (not-comparable) Enough to allow one to use something.
    • have a working knowledge of computers
  6. (not-comparable) Used in real life; practical.
    • The working minimum focus distance is the distance from the closest focusable subject to the lens.
  7. (not-comparable, obsolete) Efficacious.
    • You ſee my Lord, what woorking woordes hee hath. But when you ſee his actions ſtop ^([sic – meaning top]) his ſpeech, Your ſpeech will ſtay, or ſo extol his worth, As I ſhalbe commended and excuſde For turning my poore charge to his direction. c. 1587–1588 (date written), [Christopher Marlowe], Tamburlaine the Great. […] The First Part […], 2nd edition, part 1, London: […] [R. Robinson for] Richard Iones, […], published 1592, →OCLC; reprinted as Tamburlaine the Great (A Scolar Press Facsimile), Menston, Yorkshire; London: Scolar Press, 1973, →ISBN, Act II, scene iii:

Antonyms

broken (antonym(s) of) · down: · broken-down

Deriveds

working beam · working stiff · working group · working from home · working dog · working end · working knowledge · working conditions · working bee · working title · working farm · working vocabulary · working capital · working majority · working drawing · working proof · working part · working set · working poor · working time · working definition · working timetable · working pressure · working environment · working sail · working day · working girl · working party · working terrier · working order · working-storage section · working language · working mass · working papers · working week · working memory · working life · working family · working hours · working class · working hypothesis · working alive · working directory

Hyponyms

known-working

Relateds

work

Synonyms

draft (that suffices but requires further work) · work (of or relating to employment) · in employment · employed (in paid employment) · provisional · temporary · functioning (functioning) · up: · basic (enough to allow one to use something)

Translations (40)

ru работоспособный (functioning) · fi työ- (of or relating to employment) · ru работающее (in paid employment) · fi työssäkäyvä (in paid employment) · fi riittävä (enough to allow one to use something) · es bosquejado (suffices but requires additional work) · fi toimiva (functioning) · ru работающий (in paid employment) · hy աշխատանքային (suffices but requires additional work) · ru работающие (in paid employment) · ka მუშა (functioning) · nn yrkesaktiv (in paid employment) · bg работен (suffices but requires additional work) · ru работающая (in paid employment) · pl roboczy (suffices but requires additional work) · pl roboczy (of or relating to employment) · bg работещ (in paid employment) · ro funcțional (functioning) · eo funkcianta (functioning) · it funzionante (functioning) · da erhvervsaktiv (in paid employment) · hy աշխատանքային (of or relating to employment) · sv fungerande (functioning) · pt funcional (functioning) · da fungerende (functioning) · nb yrkesaktiv (in paid employment) · ru рабочие (suffices but requires additional work) · ru рабочая (suffices but requires additional work) · ru рабочее (suffices but requires additional work) · it lavorativo (of or relating to employment) · bg работещ (functioning) · bg работнически (of or relating to employment) · es esbozado (suffices but requires additional work) · fi työtätekevä (in paid employment) · fi keskeneräinen (suffices but requires additional work) · hy աշխատող (in paid employment) · hy աշխատող (functioning) · ru рабочий (suffices but requires additional work) · fi työ- (suffices but requires additional work) · ru рабо́чий (functioning)

working en · VERB · etymology 2

Pronunciation

  • /ˈwɜːkɪŋ/ (Received-Pronunciation)
  • (General-American) audio
  • /ˈwɝkɪŋ/ (General-American)

Etymology

From Middle English workyng, wirkynge, worchinge, werchinge, workinde, wirkand, worchende, wurchende, from Old English wyrċende, from Proto-Germanic *wurkijandz, present participle of Proto-Germanic *wurkijaną (“to work”), equivalent to work + -ing. Compare Scots wirkand, werkand, warkand (“working”), Dutch werkend (“working, acting”), German wirkend (“acting, working”).

Meanings

  1. (form-of, gerund, participle, present) present participle and gerund of work
    form of work
    • Leave him alone; he’s working.