working

[ wur-king ]
See synonyms for working on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. the act of a person or thing that works.

  2. operation; action: the involuted workings of his mind.

  1. the process of shaping a material: The working of clay is easy when it's damp.

  2. the act of manufacturing or building a thing.

  3. Usually workings. a part of a mine, quarry, or the like, in which work is carried on.

  4. the process of fermenting, as of yeasts.

  5. a slow advance involving exertion.

  6. disturbed or twisting motions: The working of his limbs revealed the disease.

  7. repeated movement or strain tending to loosen a structural assembly or part.

adjective
  1. that works.

  2. doing some form of work or labor, especially manual, mechanical, or industrial work, as for a living: a working person.

  1. operating; producing effects, results, etc.

  2. pertaining to, connected with, or used in operating or working.

  3. serving to permit or facilitate continued work: a working model; a working majority.

  4. adequate for usual or customary needs: a working knowledge of Spanish.

  5. large enough for working or being worked: a working sample.

  6. done, taken, etc., while conducting or discussing business: a working lunch.

  7. Also work. (of a face or edge, as of a timber or a metal casting) shaped and planed as a reference for further shaping and planing.

Origin of working

1
First recorded in 1250–1300, working is from the Middle English word werking.See work, -ing1, -ing2

Other words for working

Other words from working

  • self-working, adjective
  • un·work·ing, adjective

Words Nearby working

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use working in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for working

working

/ (ˈwɜːkɪŋ) /


noun
  1. the operation or mode of operation of something

  2. the act or process of moulding something pliable

  1. a convulsive or jerking motion, as from excitement

  2. (often plural) a part of a mine or quarry that is being or has been worked

  3. (plural) the whole system of excavations in a mine

  4. a record of the steps by which the result of a calculation or the solution of a problem is obtained: all working is to be submitted to the examiners

  5. rare slow advance against or as if against resistance

adjective(prenominal)
  1. relating to or concerned with a person or thing that works: a working man

  2. concerned with, used in, or suitable for work: working clothes

  1. (of a meal or occasion) during which business discussions are carried on: working lunch; working breakfast

  2. capable of being operated or used: a working model

  3. sufficiently large or accurate to be useful or to accomplish a desired end: a working majority; a working knowledge of German

  4. (of a theory, etc) providing a basis, usually a temporary one, on which operations or procedures may be carried out

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012