[f. WATER sb. + WORK sb. Cf. Du. waterwerk, G. wasserwerk.]
† 1. A structure built in the water or serving as a receptacle for water or a defence against the force of water, as a tank, pier, sea-wall, lock, etc. Obs.
1443. Acts Privy Counc. (1835), V. 283. For þe makyng of þest and west jettys at Caleys for þe weele of þe havene and oþer water werkes in þe same havene. Ibid. (1540), VII. 17. Antony Ainger paymaster to the Kinges workmenne of the water workes at Dover.
1577. B. Googe, Heresbach’s Husb., II. 106. The wylde Oke serueth also well in water woorkes.
1590. Vallans, Tale Two Swans (1744), p. xiii. [At Waltham Abbey] a rare devise they see,… a waterworke: the locke Through which the boates of Ware doe passe with malte.
1629. Pat. Off., No. 47. 2. The circular bathes or bathing water-workes above mencioned.
a. 1647. Habington, Surv. Worcs. (Worcs. Hist. Soc.), I. 29. Mr. William Sandys’ waterwourcke on Avon.
1693. Moxon, Mech. Exerc. (1703), 243. They use it in making of Cisterns to bold Water, and all manner of Water-works.
1707. Mortimer, Husb., 326. The knottiest and coarsest [oak] is best for Water-works and Piles.
1765. Museum Rust., IV. 380. For properly planting the greatest number of the Small-leaved English Elm, for raising timber, (commonly used for keels of ships and water-works) … a Gold Medal.
1790. Smeaton, Edystone L., § 186. The ancient baths and water-works of the Romans were built with this kind of mortar.
transf. 1596. Harington, Metam. Ajax, H 2 b. Though I called my selfe by metaphor an Admirall for the water workes.
2. † a. A system of machinery for raising, conveying or distributing water. Obs.
The ‘New Waterwork’ referred to in several early quots. was a lofty building erected near Queenhithe in 1594–5 by Bevis Bulmar, containing machinery ‘for the conueying and forcing of Thames water to serue in the middle and West parts of the Citie’ (Stow, Survey of London, 1603, p. 364).
1596. Sir J. Davies, Epigr., vi. (In Titum), Titus … Three years togither in this towne hath beene Yet my Lord Chauncellors tombe he hath not seene Nor the New water worke.
1610. B. Jonson, Alchemist, II. i. 76. Mam. I’ll giue away so much, vnto my man, Shall serue th’ whole citie, with preseruatiue, Weekely, each house his dose, and at the rate— Sur. As he that built the water-worke, do’s with water? Ibid., III. iv. 418. I, that was with the griefe Thou took’st for being sess’d at eighteene pence For the water-worke.
1622. J. Taylor (Water P.), Merry-Wherry-Ferry Voy., Wks. (1630), II. 12/2. Some 10. yeeres since Fresh water there was scant, But with much Cost they haue suppli’d that want; By a most ex’lent Water-worke that’s made.
1644. G. Plattes, in Hartlib’s Legacy (1655), 216. Raise the water by an engine or water-work of the most fit sort for that place and purpose.
a. 1661. Fuller, Worthies, Chester (1662), 292. John Terer … erected a seemly waterwork built Steeplewise at the Bridgegate…. This since hath served for the conveying of River-water from the Cisterne, in the top of that Work, through Pipes of Lead and Wood, to the Citizens houses.
1663. Marq. Worcester, Cent. Invent., etc. F 7. The same individual Definition of my Water-work … I again adventure to present to Your Majesty.
1775. Whitehurst, Machine Raising Water, in Phil. Trans., LXV. 277. The circumstances attending this water-work, require a particular attention.
b. collect. plural. (Sometimes construed as sing.) The assemblage of machinery, buildings and engineering constructions, used for the purpose of supplying a town or neighborhood with water conveyed and distributed through pipes.
1621. Burton, Anat. Mel., II. ii. I. i. (1624), 202. Mr Otho Nicholson, founder of our water works, & elegant Conduit in Oxford.
1691. Lond. Gaz., No. 2625/1. An Act for Incorporating the Proprietors of the Water-works in York-Buildings. Ibid. (1703), No. 3976/4. The Proprietors concerned in the London-Bridge Water-Works are desired to meet on Wednesday the 10th Instant.
1753. Hanway, Trav. (1762), II. I. iv. 21. They have a town house, an exchange, and waterworks, by which the city is supplied from the river.
1818. Cruise, Digest (ed. 2), V. 138. Two 36th shares of the King’s moiety of the New River waterworks.
1879. Cassell’s Techn. Educ., I. 226/2. The term water-works is properly applied only to such works as have for their object the collection, supply, and conveyance of water to towns.
1910. Encycl. Brit., XIV. 838/2. The municipality owns and operates its water-works.
† 3. Any contrivance for producing a pleasing spectacle by means of water in motion; an ornamental fountain or cascade. Chiefly in plural. Obs.
a. 1586. Sidney, Arcadia, I. xiv. § 1. The table was set neere to an excellent water-worke; for by the casting of the water in most cunning maner, it makes (with the shining of the Sunne vpon it) a perfect rainbow.
1649. Davenant, Love & Honour, II. i. 105. Those are the tunes my old widdow prisoner sings With more division than a water work When the maine pipe is halfe stopt.
1680. Morden, Geog. Rect., Germany (1685), 113. In his Palace or Castle of Heidelburg are divers things remarkable, viz. the Grotes and Water-works.
a. 1700. Evelyn, Diary, Aug. 1641. Where, in the upper roomes of the house were divers pretty water-workes, rising 108 foote from the ground.
1702. Phil. Trans., XXIII. 1078. There was always a great boyling and flying up of the Water of the Sea, as in a Jette d’eau, or Water-work.
1710. Addison, Spect., No. 5, ¶ 3. There was actually a Project of bringing the New River into the House, to be employed in Jetteaus and Water-works.
1721. New General Atlas, 219. The Gardens are pleasant and stately, adorn’d with exquisite Water-Works.
1757. Mrs. P. L. Powys, Passages fr. Diaries (1899), 29. The waterworks … may be said to be more grand than pleasing,… particularly the grand cascade, which [etc.].
1771. Smollett, Humphry Cl., 4 July (1815), 221. I saw him standing by the wheel, dropping like a water-work, and trembling from head to foot, partly from cold, and partly [etc.].
1779. J. Moore, View Soc. Fr., II. lv. 56. The present Landgrave’s grandfather … formed … a series of artificial cataracts, cascades, and various kinds of water-works, in the noblest style that can be imagined.
b. transf. Chiefly in jocular references to shedding of tears and (nonce-use) to rain.
1647. J. Cleveland, Poems, 47. Not Bushells Wells can match a Poets eyes In wanton water-works.
1709. T. Robinson, Vindic. Mosaick Syst., 23. The Veins … of the Earth being now saturated … the Subterrene Lymphæducts, or underground Water-works, began to bubble up and play from the Tops and sides of the Mountains.
1806. J. Beresford, Miseries Hum. Life, v. § 12. The fire-works put entirely out of countenance by the water-works [i.e., the rain].
1848. Thackeray, Van. Fair, xiv. ‘O Miss B., I never thought to have seen this day!’ And the waterworks again began to play.
1857. Hughes, Tom Brown, II. v. Sneaking little brute … clapping on the water-works just in the hardest place.
1885–6. F. Leslie’s Chatterbox (N. Y.) 79. Harry could not bear to see Clare cry. ‘Hold up!’ he cried. ‘This will never do. Hullo! no waterworks here, if you please.’
† 4. A kind of imitation tapestry, painted in size or distemper. Obs.
See J. H. Middleton, in Proc. Soc. Antiq. (1886), 197, where this kind of work is described from extant specimens.
a. 1548. Hall, Chron., Hen. VIII., 28. Goodly tentes of blewe water worke garnyshed wt yelowe & white.
1597. Shaks., 2 Hen. IV., II. i. 158. And for thy walles a pretty slight Drollery, of the Storie of the Prodigall, or the Germane hunting in Waterworke, is worth a thousand of these Bed-hangings, and these Fly-bitten Tapistries.
5. In occasional uses: Something done in or on the water, or by means of water; † a pageant exhibited on the water.
1608. Great Frost, in Arber, Eng. Garner, I. 83. Make me so much beholding to you, as to receive from you the right picture of all these your waterworks; how they began, how they have grown, and in what fashion have continued.
1614. J. Taylor (Water P.) (title), Taylors Water-worke: or The Scullers Trauels, from Tiber to Thames.
1629. Dekker, London’s Tempe (Percy Soc.), 43. The first scæne is a water-worke, presented by Oceanus.
1655. W. Nicholson, Expos. Catech. (1663), 171. The Scruple then here is, How water can wash away the spots of sin? To clear it in brief: The truth is, it could not; it is no water-work.
1680. C. Nesse, Ch. Hist., 291. Such savoury discourse … for our deliverance from the devils water-works in eighty-eight [i.e., the Spanish Armada].
1902. Hist. Hawick from 1832, 140. Usually most of the play [at handball] is in the river, and the ‘water work’ is the most amusing feature to the onlookers.
6. An operation or a department of labor concerned with hydraulic engineering, irrigation, embanking, drainage, or the like. Chiefly pl. Now rare.
1564. Rec. Inverness (New Spalding Club), I. 117. The prowest baillies and cunsall decernis all watter men to mak thayr partis of thair wattyr wark sufficient betuix the day and dayt heirof and the feist of Andersmes mixt.
1568. in Sel. Charters Trading Co. (Selden Soc.), I. 17. Workmasters of great cunning perfectness knowledge and experience in all kind of mineral works and of water works for the draining of all manner of mines.
1571. Digges, Pantom., I. xxxi. K j b. And heere I thynke it not amisse to gyue you a precepte howe to fynde the diuersitie of these leuelles, wherby yee may exactly resolue sundry questions perteyning to water woorkes, wherein dyuers haue greately erred, obseruyng not this difference.
1610. R. Vaughan (title), Most approved and long-experienced water-workes. Containing, The manner of Winter and Summer-drowning of Medow and Pasture [etc.].
1625. K. Long, trans. Barclay’s Argenis, I. xiii. 35. Some famous for Limming; he curious for Architecture; this for Water workes, or any other Art.
1634. J. B[ate] (title), The Mysteryes of Nature and Art. Conteined in foure severall Treatises. The first of Water workes, The second of Fyer workes, The third of Drawing [etc.].
1638. Cal. Anc. Rec. Dublin (1892), III. 345. A sufficient plummer that hath skill in waterworkes, and all other workes belonging to a plummer.
1653. Van Etten’s Math. Recreat., title-p., Secrets and Experiments in Arithmetick, Geometry,… Chemistry, Water-works, Fire-works, &c.
1682. Luttrell, Brief Rel. (1857), I. 192. Sir Samuell Moreland, the great engineer in water-works, is gone over to the court of France to show his skill there.
1848. Clough, Amours de Voy., iii. 12. Where … amid cotton and maize peasants their water-works ply.
attrib. 1824. R. Stuart, Hist. Steam Engine, 6. The elasticity of the vapour of water … had now become familiar to water-work artists.
So Water-worker.
1579. Fenton, Guicciard., VI. (1599), 258. The bottome of the poole, contrarie to the … opinions of many enginists and water-workers, was found to be higher.
1787. W. H. Marshall, Norf. (1795), II. 391. Water-workers, makers of meadow-drains and wet ditches.
