[meyk-wurk] 
| work, usually of little importance, created to keep a person from being idle or unemployed. |
| make-work (māk'wûrk') n. Work of little value assigned or taken on only to keep someone from being idle. |
Publicly provided employment that is designed primarily to relieve unemployment and only incidentally to accomplish important tasks. If private employers are hiring few people because of a business slump, the government can “make work” for people to do.
