forwork

Etymology

From Middle English forwirken, forwerken, forwurchen, from Old English forwyrċan (“to do wrong, sin; ruin, undo, destroy; condemn, convict, curse; forfeit; barricade, obstruct, close up”), from Proto-Germanic *frawurkijaną, equivalent to for- + work. Cognate with Dutch verwerken (“to digest, assimilate, work up, put into action”), German verwirken (“to forfeit”), Gothic 𐍆𐍂𐌰𐍅𐌰𐌿𐍂𐌺𐌾𐌰𐌽 (frawaurkjan).

verb

  1. To forfeit (a possession, privilege, etc.); ruin (oneself) by one's own conduct.
  2. To obstruct; barricade; block.“And Æthelwold sat within the ham, with the men that to him had bowed, and he had forwrought [obstructed] all the gates in, and said that he would either there live or there lie.”
  3. To do wrong to; injure; scathe.
  4. To overwork; exhaust with toil.“And toiling so, well-nigh forwrought, She prayed full fervently; […]”