"underwork" - Word of the Day from the OED

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underwork, v.

SECOND EDITION 1989

[UNDER-¹ 8a, 8b, 10a.] 

    1.    a. intr. To work secretly; to take clandestine measures. Obs.

1504 Plumpton Corr. (Camden) 186 It is sayd that ye be lesse forward, & they underworketh falsly. 1603 B. JONSON Sejanus Argt., He raiseth in private a new instrument,..and by him underworketh, discovers the other's counsels.

    b. trans. To work against secretly; to seek to undermine or overthrow. Obs.

1595 SHAKES. John II. i. 95 But thou from louing England art so farre, That thou hast vnder-wrought his lawfull King. 1613-8 DANIEL Coll. Hist. Eng. (1626) 45 His delay yeelds the King time to..vnder-worke his enemies. 1627 ABP. ABBOT Narr. in Rushworth Hist. Collect. (1659) I. 440 He will underwork any man in the World, so that he may gain by it. 1659 RUSHW. Ibid. 4 He did first under-work his Voyage to Guienna.

    2.    a. To spend too little work on; to leave unfinished. Obs.

1691 NORRIS Pract. Disc. 228 There is no Artist, but will perform to the utmost of his Skill, provided it be as easy for him to make his Piece compleat, as to under-work it.

    b. To impose too little work upon.

1882 M. E. BRADDON Mt. Royal I. iii. 78 Besides, he is not underworked.

    c. intr. To do too little work.

1869 H. SIDGWICK Let. 8 Mar. in A. & E. M. Sidgwick Henry Sidgwick (1906) 191, I am rather underworking. 1902 G. HOWELL Labour Legislation xlii. 499 The man that under-works is as bad as the man that under-pays.

    3. trans. To work for less wages than (another).

1695 Whether Preserving Protest. Relig. was Motive of Revolution 17 Who by their frugal and parsimonious Living would be able..to underwork and undersell them. 1713 Mercator No. 9/1 The French being able to Underwork us, will also Undersell us.

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