work-day, n. and a.
(ˈwɜːkdeɪ)
[OE. weorcdæᵹ (= Du. werkdag, OHG., MHG. werctac, G. werktag, ON. verkdagr) does not seem to have survived; ME. werkday is prob. a new formation on work n. + day n.1, or ad. ON.; cf. workaday.]
A. n. A day on which work is ordinarily performed; a week-day.
| c 1430 Freemasonry (1847) 270 That the mason worche apon the werk day. c 1440 Promp. Parv. 522/2 Werkday, feria. 1488 Somerset Med. Wills (1901) 279, I wold my prest shuld sing in them the werke daies during the 12 monethis. 1535 Coverdale Ezek. xlvi. 1 Y⊇ dore of the ynnermer courte..shall be shut the vj. worke dayes. 1548–9 Bk. Com. Prayer, Communion rubric, When the holy Communion is celebrate, on the workeday. 1563 Homilies ii. Of Place & Time of Prayer i. 139 They vse all dayes a lyke, workedayes and holydayes are all one. a 1639 Hinde J. Bruen xlvii. (1641) 153 Neither holy-day, nor work-day. 1706 S. Centlivre Platonic Lady i. ii. Wks. 1760 II. 194 She..paid the Labourers their Wages on Work-days, and took a Jigg with them on Holy-days. 1824 Miss Mitford Village Ser. i. Hannah 22 We (the privileged) see on a work-day the names which the sabbath announces to the generality. |
¶ Used for daywork 2.
| 1670 Blount Law Dict. (1691), When they performed their Boons or Work-days to their Lord. |
B. attrib. passing into adj. Belonging to or characteristic of a work-day; performed, worn, etc. on a work-day; also fig. = workaday B.
| c 1500 Ely Episc. Rec. (1891) 211, I give to Edmund Garred my worke day gown. 1540 Test. Ebor. (Surtees) VI. 103 My warkday gowne. 1563 in Strype Ann. Ref. (1709) I. xxxv. 357 My Visitation Sermons and Workday Sermons. 1622 Knaresb. Wills (Surtees) II. 77 My woorkday gowne..thre woorkday aprens, one woorkday band. 1808 Scott Marm. vi. iii, Ne'er, in work-day world, was seen A form so witching fair. 1831 James Phil. Augustus xl, [It] relieves the mind from petty calculation and workday cares. 1849 Mrs. Carlyle Lett. II. 72, I saw him..after unloading the waggon, in his workday clothes. 1859 Kingsley Misc. I. 16 Unfit for this workday world. 1889 Corbett Monk xiv. 195 This dull work-day soldier. |