worked

English

Alternative forms

• (archaic) ywrought

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /wɜːkt/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /wɝkt/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)kt

Verb

worked

1. simple past and past participle of work

Adjective

worked (not comparable)

1. Designed or executed in a particular manner or to a particular degree.
   • 1811, William Singers, “On the Varieties of Wheat, Barley, Oats, Peas, and Beans”, in Prize Essays and Transactions of the Highland Society of Scotland, page 73:

     A heavy rich loam is, perhaps, the best of any; but carse lands, and well worked and manured clay soils, are also very suitable.

2. Wrought.
   1. Processed in a particular way; prepared via labour.
      • 1832, James Justinian Morier, Zorhab the Hostage, page 39:

        ...the light and elastic spear, made of the India bamboo, and tipped with the most perfectly worked steel, which he now held in his hand...

   2. Decorated or embellished; embroidered.
      • 1803, William Alexander, The Costume of the Russian Empire, page 84:

        ...and many of them, at least when young, wear only a worked piece of linen over their head.

3. Prepared so as to demonstrate the steps required.
   • 1835, R.H. Nicholls, Francis Walkingame, Taplin's Improved Edition of Walkingame's Tutor's Assistant, page 108:

     Place each error opposite its supposed number, as in the worked example.

Derived terms

• frost-worked
• worked up
• handworked, hand-worked
• user-worked

References

• “worked”, in OED Online ⁠, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press, launched 2000.