Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- v. To work better or faster than.
- v. To complete (something); work (something) out.
- n. A minor fortification constructed beyond a main defensive position or fortification.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- n. Work done outside, out of doors, or in the fields, as distinguished from indoor work.
- n. In fortification, one of the minor defenses constructed in advance of the main work or enceinte. Outworks are works raised within or beyond the ditch of a fortified place, for the purpose of covering the place or keeping the besiegers at a distance. The principal outworks of a fortification are the covered way, the demilune, the redout, the tenail, the tenaillon, the counter-guard, and the crown-work and hornwork.
- n. Hence A bulwark; any defense against violence from outside.
- To surpass in workmanship.
- To surpass or exceed in labor, exertion, or agitation.
- To work out or carry on to a conclusion; complete; finish.
Wiktionary
- v. rare To work out to a finish; to complete.
- v. To work faster or harder than.
- n. A minor, subsidiary fortification built beyond the main limits of fortification.
GNU Webster's 1913
- v. To exceed in working; to work more or faster than.
- n. (Fort.) A minor defense constructed beyond the main body of a work, as a ravelin, lunette, hornwork, etc.
WordNet 3.0
- n. subsidiary defensive structure lying outside the main fortified area
Etymologies
- out- + work (Wiktionary)
Examples
“When a defence of a certain Spanish outwork was resolved upon, the duke, from his rank, was chosen for the command.”
“In the outwork was a sallyport [Footnote: A sallyport is an underground passage from the outer to the inner fortifications.] corresponding to the postern of the castle, and the whole was surrounded by a strong palisade.”
“In the outwork was a sally-port corresponding to the postern of the castle, and the whole was surrounded by a strong palisade.”
“In the outwork was a sallyport corresponding to the postern of the castle, and the whole was surrounded by a strong palisade.”
“We have destroyed the machines, and retaken the outwork, which is now held by Andrew”
“Meer Baber Beg has placed his fortress in a very respectable state of defence, quite adequate to repel the desultory inroads of his predatory neighbours; but commanded by and exposed to enfilade from the hills about it, on one of these hills he has built a tower as a kind of outwork, but it is very weak and of insignificant size.”
“I should have mentioned that on the north side of the other Piers at some distance another Pier is sunk to serve as a kind of outwork to the others in breaking the Force of the Ice coming down.”
Journal of a Tour to North Carolina by William Attmore, 1787
“The prospect of owning land whipped many American colonists to outwork everyone else on the planet.”
“A small, shy woman who could outwork any man, Conway agreed to the same procedure.”
“He could make a team or a practice squad with a strong camp, and nobody will outwork him in their effort to get there.”
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘outwork’.
-
defense
shield, aegis, armor, cuirass, plastron, inured, reinforced, cataphract, proof, targus, buckler, shield bearer and 123 more...
-
Hence
Words with definitions that have a "hence" in them.
hanger, Deet, tripe, spindlelegs, fiddle, store, pluck, snap, villain, link, comedy, particular and 410 more...
Tweets
Looking for tweets for outwork.
Comments
No comments yet...
Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.