pieceworkn.
/ˈpiːswəːk/, U.S. /ˈpisˌwərk/ 1. Work for which an employee is paid according to the amount produced, rather than receiving a fixed wage. Also attributive, as piecework job, piecework system, etc. rare before 18th cent.
ΘΚΠ
society > occupation and work > work > [noun] > piecework
task-work1486
piecework1549
setwork1720
job work1780
measured work1834
measure-work1852
great work1855
piece labour1859
1549 Coventry Leet Bk. 792 No persone of the Craft of Cappers shall put owt eny pece-woork, but to suche of the same Craft as the maisters..shall agree & consent vnto.
1729 Acct. all Variations contained in Treaty of Peace 28 The Manufacturers had a valuable Consideration for their daily Labour or Piece Work.
1770 J. Wedgwood Let. 12 May in Sel. Lett. (1965) 91 You will certainly do right in bringing the painting to piece work.
1817 H. L. Piozzi Let. 14 Apr. in A. Hayward Autobiogr. Mrs. Piozzi (1861) II. 200 A gentleman..called fifteen of his principal people..and told them he was no longer able to give them piece-work.
1890 Daily News 1 Nov. 3/2 This is one of the last of the piece-work jobs in Victoria Dock under the agreement of last November.
1911 Rep. Labour & Social Conditions in Germany (Tariff Reform League) III. 186 There was a lock-out in the building trade, owing to a grievance in the piecework system.
1992 D. Morgan Rising in West iii. x. 175 Eldon figured he could make more doing piecework in the orchards.
2. Needlework consisting of small pieces of fabric sewn together; patchwork. Frequently attributive.
ΘΚΠ
the world > textiles and clothing > textiles > textile fabric or an article of textile fabric > sewn or ornamented textile fabric > [adjective] > patchwork
patchwork1711
patchworked1803
piecework1842
Resht1883
1842 C. M. Kirkland Forest Life I. xi. 109 No gorgeous piece-work bed-quilts exhibiting stars of all magnitudes and moons in all quarters.
1878 Defiance (Ohio) Democrat 10 Oct. 1/7 Class 31—Needle Work... Mrs E. A. Williams, chair in piece work.
1925 Woman's World (Chicago) Apr. 38/2 (caption) Patchwork quilts were divided into two classes in early days—those called ‘piece work’ and those called ‘laid work’.
2003 Art in Amer. (Nexis) 1 July 94 Although all of the piecework quilts here are roughly rectangular, their edges are irregular and corners rarely meet at strict right angles.
Derivatives
ˈpieceˌworker n. a person employed in piecework.
ΘΚΠ
society > occupation and work > worker > workers according to conditions > [noun] > employee > piece-worker
tasker1621
pieceworker1757
piece man1815
piecemaker1839
1757 R. Campbell London Tradesman (ed. 3) 234 Such as cannot, for Want of Stock or Acquaintance, set up for themselves, commence Piece-Workers.
1884 Harper's Mag. Sept. 625/1 With a piece-worker, time is literally money.
1991 M. Atwood Wilderness Tips 215 They look like pieceworkers in a garment factory.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2006; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.1549