make-work

make-work
make-work make-work n. Active work of litle value, such as assignments given by teachers to students to keep them busy while the teacher performs other tasks, or chores performed to while away time; also called {busywork}.

Syn: busywork. [WordNet 1.5 +PJC]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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  • make-work — busy work, activity of no value, 1913 (adj.); 1937 (n.), Amer.Eng., from the verbal expression to make work (see MAKE (Cf. make) (v.) + WORK (Cf. work) (n.)). A big fire devoured a street; It will make work, I heard my father say; a ship was lost …   Etymology dictionary

  • make-work — ˈmake work noun [uncountable] work that is not important but is given to people to keep them busy: • They want to move from their make work jobs into more challenging ones. * * * make work UK US noun [U] US ► jobs that are given to people,… …   Financial and business terms

  • make-work — n [U] AmE work that is not important but is given to people to keep them busy …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • make-work — make ,work noun uncount work that is given to someone so that they have something to do …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • make-work — make′ work n. work created to keep a person busy • Etymology: 1935–40 …   From formal English to slang

  • make-work — ☆ make work [māk′wʉrk΄ ] adj., n. (designating) a job, project, or assignment that serves no useful purpose other than to give an otherwise idle or unemployed person something to do …   English World dictionary

  • make-work — /mayk werrk /, n. work, usually of little importance, created to keep a person from being idle or unemployed. [1935 40, Amer.; n. use of v. phrase make work] * * * …   Universalium

  • make-work — noun An activity or task assigned or undertaken for the sake of activity or busy ness, rather than because of a particular need. The assignment was simply make work to keep them busy on a rainy day …   Wiktionary

  • Make-work job — A make work job is a job that has less final benefit[to whom?] than the job costs to support. Make work jobs are similar to workfare but are publicly offered on the job market and have otherwise normal employment requirements (workfare jobs, in… …   Wikipedia

  • make-work — noun active work of little value (Freq. 1) while he was waiting he filled the days with busywork • Syn: ↑busywork • Hypernyms: ↑work …   Useful english dictionary

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