From Middle High German wërc, from Old High German wërk, from Proto-West Germanic *werk, from Proto-Germanic *werką, from Proto-Indo-European *wérǵom.

• IPA^(key): /vɛʁk/, [vɛʁk], [vɛɐ̯k]

• Audio (Germany (Berlin)):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɛʁk

Werk n (strong, genitive Werkes or Werks, plural Werke, diminutive Werkchen n or Werklein n)

1. work, achievement (the result of working)

   Nach getaner Arbeit betrachtete er sein Werk.

   After having finished working, he looked at what he had achieved

2. work, piece (of art, literature, or the like)

   Macbeth ist eins von Shakespeares wichtigsten Werken.

   Macbeth is one of Shakespeare's most important works.

3. factory, plant, works

   Die Firma will ihr Stuttgarter Werk schließen.

   The company is going to close down its Stuttgart works.

4. (religion) work (morally relevant deed)

   Gott richtet den Menschen nach Glauben und Werken.

   God judges a person by their faith and works.

5. (archaic, except in compounds) labour, work (the occupation or process of working)

   Bergarbeit ist ein hartes Werk.

   Mining is hard work.

• Arbeit

• 👁 Image
  Werk on the German Wikipedia.Wikipedia ^de
• “Werk” in Duden online
• “Werk”, in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache‎^[1] (in German)
• “Werk” in Deutsches Wörterbuch von Jacob und Wilhelm Grimm, 16 vols., Leipzig 1854–1961.