intransitive. To perform physical or mental labour; to exert oneself for a definite purpose, esp. in order to produce something or to earn a…

intransitive. To labour, toil; = swink, v. 1.

Right through the flesh so as to reach the bone. Frequently hyperbolical, or in figurative contexts.

intransitive. To perform physical or mental labour; to exert oneself physically or mentally; to work, esp. hard or against difficulties (frequently at…

intransitive. To struggle towards an aim or for a living; to engage intensively in hard or prolonged labour or exertion.

intransitive. To drudge or slave.

intransitive. To perform mean or servile tasks; to work hard or slavishly; to toil at laborious and distasteful work.

intransitive. To toil, drudge.

intransitive. To drudge, slave, toil in mean work.

In phrase to tug at the (an) oar, to row as a galley slave; hence figurative to toil unremittingly; to labour in a subordinate capacity; to do…

intransitive. To apply oneself vigorously and bravely to (a fight, contest, task, etc.). In later use chiefly in to stand to it: to fight…

transitive. To push or lift; to move with effort. Also intransitive: to work hard.

To toil or work hard like a slave.

to work like a beaver: to work hard. Originally U.S.

to hold (also keep, bring, put) one's nose to the grindstone: to get the mastery over another and treat him with harshness or severity, to grind…

to feague away: to set in motion briskly. Also figurative. To agitate (a point) in one's thoughts. Also, to feague it away: to work at full stretch…

colloquial (originally U.S.). to work like a nigger and variants: to work exceptionally hard.

To work hard, slave, drudge. dialect or slang.

intransitive (with it). = sense 4.

figurative. intransitive. To work hard; with away, on.

figurative. To give forth or get rid of as by sweating; slang, to spend, lay out (money). Also with away, out. In slang phrases: to sweat one's gut…

figurative. With down. To concentrate one's resources, esp. in unfavourable circumstances; to dig in, buckle down; spec. (frequently in Military…

collective plural. Phrases. †to have one's guts about one's ears (a hyperbolical threat); †(to grieve) to the guts: deeply, to the very soul; to have…

Proverbial phrases and locutions. In comparisons: as holy (also as sick, as strong) as a horse; to eat (also work) like a horse. a horse of another (a…

Const. away: to work like a beaver.

Australian. Used, chiefly in similes, to describe a person who works hard, typically doing unrewarding or servile tasks. Esp. in to work like a dr…

to get one's nose down (to): to work hard and concentratedly (at). Cf. to hold one's nose to the grindstone at grindstone, n. 2b.