well-wrought, ppl. a.
1. Well made or fashioned, skilfully constructed or put together: a. of material things.
| 1338 R. Brunne Chron. (1810) 341 To Westmynster þei hym brouht, Biside his fadere is laid in a toumbe wele wrouht. ? a 1366 Chaucer Rom. Rose 1024 Hir nose, hir mouth, and eyhe and cheke Wel wrought [bien fait]. c 1400 Destr. Troy 1739 We haue a Cite..Well wroght for the werre, wallis full high. 1538 Elyot Dict. Add., Adfabrum, well wrought. c 1611 Chapman Iliad xi. 202 Yet pierc't it not his wel-wrought zone. 1640 Habington Castara iii. (Arb.) 120 And so I in thy favour dye, No memorie For me a well-wrought tombe prepare. 1723 Mandeville Fable Bees (ed. 2) I. 185 From Caves..we are come to warm and well wrought Houses. 1732 Pope Ess. Man ii. 208 Tho' each by turns, the other's bound invade, As, in some well-wrought picture, light and shade. 1864 Ld. Derby Iliad v. 22 Idæus from the well-wrought chariot sprang. |
b. of immaterial things, esp. literary or musical composition. Also with out.
| c 1460 Towneley Myst. xvi. 370 This is well wroght gere that euer may be. 1668 Dryden Dram. Poesie 20 The Plots of their Plays being narrow, and the persons few, one of their Acts was written in a less compass then one of our well wrought Scenes. 1711 Steele Spect. No. 11 ¶4 In Answer to your well-wrought Tale, I will give you..the History of Inkle and Yarico. 1849 Helps Friends in C. ii. i. (1854) I. 269 A store of goodly thoughts in well-wrought words. 1876 Mus. Times 1 June 492/1 Concluding his performance with a well-wrought-out fugue on this subject. |
† 2. Of ale: Thoroughly ‘worked’ or fermented.
| 1694 Salmon Bate's Dispens. (1713) 26/1 Put them in new well-wrought Beer or Ale. |
† 3. Of a convert: Fully persuaded. Obs.
| 1684 I. Mather Rec. Illustr. Provid. ix. 291 He is..judged to be a well wrought Convert and real Christian. |